The Elements Of the Unwanted
by The Assassins Anthem
Summary: We are all unwanted by our clans, isolated as freaks of nature. There are six of us. Six who were chosen to wield the ancient elements of StarClan. They have both helped and destroyed us, but they give us hope, because for once, we have the power to change what others can't. The question is, who will use it for good, and who, for evil?
1. Prologue :: Discriminated

_ "__You nearly destroyed this land!"_

_"Your strike caused Flame to burn everything!"_

_"What is a bolt worth, anyway? All they does is cause fear."_

* * *

Lightning opened his lightning colored eyes, immediately stepping away from the pond of perfect, clear water which lay stagnant before him. His teeth, tightly clenched together, would not allow him to speak, and his mind could not muster the words to grant him the desire to speak against his leader.

On the opposite side of the pond, an almost white cat with glassy blue eyes sat on a tall rock which towered over the sparkling water. He was quiet, calm, relaxed. There was no smile, but no scowl. He was as peaceful as the breeze floating around the two cats.

"It is okay to speak, young Lightning," the white cat soothed. "If you do not, the tension will crush you." Lightning wanted to release the anxiety right into the ground, but as the dark clouds began to form and purple sparks began to be seen, he exhaled and managed to control what was inside him.

After the clouds had cleared, Lightning asked, "Why did you summon me here, Air?"

"Set your gaze upon me, and ask me," Air ordered, his voice wispy as if it were being carried off by the wind. Lightning slowly brought his bright purple eyes to meet the eyes of his elder.

"Why did you summon me here?" Lightning questioned. Then, after a small moment of hesitation, "Why did you force me to look into the pond?"

"There are over four seasons of answers, but only few which can be said here," Air replied. "Has it come to your attention of what problems have arisen back on the realm in which we first dwelled?" Lightning gave a short nod.

"It has, Air," Lightning responded. "This issue, however, needs the entirety of our creation, does it not?"

"Indeed it does," Air confirmed. "However, I need your assistance. There is a. . .choice, as always, which we must make for those who live in the realm of reality. This choice involves those who are not unlike you." Lightning narrowed his eyes.

"How so, smart one?" Lightning questioned.

"After the Great War, there is no question the others have taken to hate you," Air replied. "You, with enough power to kill with one strike, have been demoted to the lowest rank, beaten, isolated, and discriminated for too many sunrises to count. I know you have wanted to prove to them that you are better, stronger, and more controllable, and I am giving you advice to help you."

"I have lived with the prejudice for enough time, Air, I do not need assistance," Lightning claimed.

"Yes, this is what I am speaking about," Air sighed. "When you choose who will bear your element in the other realm, you must choose one who shares your personality, your ambitions, your motives. If you do, the evil spreading around the other realm will never stand a chance, and your reputation will be respected once more."

Lightning narrowed his eyes and asked, "Choose someone to bear my element? But why -?"

"All of us must do so, for if we do not, there will be no chance for those in the other realm," Air responded. "You, however, must choose wisely. If the one who bears your element becomes as great as you were when you were borne of the thunder, you will return to becoming the most revered and feared once more."

"What if I do not wish to burden a mortal with my power?" Lightning questioned.

"You must," Air replied. "If you do not, you will cease to exist as a Guardian of the other realm." Lightning narrowed his eyes, but said nothing further. With a sigh, Air announced, "We shall call the others now. If you would do the honor of bringing Flame, I'd appreciate it." Lightning gave a small, distant nod.

The clouds began to form in seconds, and Lightning sensed the sparks building in the thundering darkness. He took a deep breath and forced his energy to strike right on one of the high rocks behind Air's. Immediately, the lichen caught fire, and the flame grew until a full grown cat with fur like autumn leaves came from them.

Meanwhile, rain began to fall steadily. On another tall stone, the water built up to create a beautiful she-cat the fur color of dull rain. Her dark blue eyes met Lightning's, and he could almost feel himself calming down.

The light rain froze suddenly, and as the snow fell, the snowflakes gathered in one spot above a different high stone. When the snow stopped, a white she-cat with light blue eyes gave a smirk, her sharp teeth seen by everyone.

Lastly, a sprout on the last rock grew up to an exceptional height before it formed into a large brown cat with deep green eyes.

Lightning, who was the only cat without a high stone, took a step back as the pond below him began to swirl with memories of the cats above him. He closed his eyes for a moment, sat, and opened them to meet Air's pitiful gaze before he turned to face the others behind him.

"The time has come for a new page in the history of the other realm!" Air announced, his smooth yet overwhelming voice booming over the distant thunder which had not disappeared like the other elements. "May you take my words with the utmost respect of the importance of this meeting. Darkness falls upon those we have sworn for eons to protect, and to prevent bloodshed, I have created a plan which will only work with the help of your wisdom." Lightning looked away. _Bloodshed will not be prevented. . ._

"For the first time in years," Air continued, "we must reside within the other realm. We must watch over these cats to protect them from the danger, but also to watch those we have put trust in, for I have made the decision to place one element into one mortal to control. These mortals who control our elements will become our allies, to help us fight against the evil." There was a moment of silence.

"Oh, you have got to be joking," sneered the white she-cat. "Allowing someone to bear my power? The power that the Almighty gave me? No. It is mine."

"Greed is a fatal flaw, Snow," Air warned. "The mortals need your power of Ice. Without any one of us, their lives will crumble."

"Our powers are a danger to mortals," the gray cat reminded Air calmly. "This would not help them, but only destroy them."

"I have considered this," Air responded. "However, since all of you will be deciding for yourselves which mortal will bear your responsibility, I doubt your judgment will go awry. Especially yours, Rain."

"These cats are young, how do we know if they are worthy?" the amber cat questioned.

"If you do not remember correctly, Flame, we age differently than they do," Air replied. "Those who seem young may be mature within. Watch them, even as they sleep. Small things can reveal the largest secrets of a Warrior cat."

"Even if they seem honest before, what if they betray us when they discover their new power?" the brown cat wondered. "Many have faltered once given a choice between gaining control and what is right."

"Mostly, you will be fueling your element into them, so if they misuse the gift, you may take it away from them, Mountain," Air explained.

"That doesn't even matter though, does it?" Lightning muttered lowly from the ground. His electric purple eyes were narrowed on the eldest one. "Why should we give the mortals power when we remember what happened last time our elements were free?"

"You must recall those events constantly, Lightning," came the cold voice of Snow. She held a smirk on her face. "Who wouldn't, after what you did?" The temperature around the black cat fell drastically, forcing him to shiver. A pink scar on the bridge of his nose seemed to sparkle in response.

"Those days have nothing to do with this," Lightning hissed. "The point is, we fought with each other for too many years to count when we first discovered our power, who's to say they won't do the same? By the time we manage to fix it, everything will be destroyed!"

"Just like last time," Flame growled. Lightning's muscles tensed, but he did not retaliate.

"Yes," he said lowly. "Just like last time."

"I have faith in your ability to choose the right mortal," Air told them all. "This must be done, and soon. It cannot be ignored. If either of you fail to choose in four sunrises, I will be forced to suspend your power until the darkness has passed. Am I clear?" There was silence. The wind picked up, and soon the cat was gone with a harmless tornado as his form.

Lightning jumped upward into the clouds before anyone could do anything to him.

* * *

Lightning walked through the mirrors. It was dark underneath him, and dark around him. All aside from the endless mirrors which showed a certain place of the other realm. He walked until he passed by Snow, who was intently looking at a small white kitten barely old enough to open her eyes.

"Come to spy on me, Lightning?" Snow asked with smirk.

"I am simply curious," Lightning responded. "I have noticed you have chosen someone who is not clan born."

"I haven't chosen anyone yet, moron," Snow growled lowly. "This one, though. . .she just seems to know what it is like to be constantly freezing. And her future is even more desirable. I doubt she would use my power for anything but to save the forest." Lightning began to move forward when Snow said, "Don't bother finding a mortal in RiverClan. Rain is already looking, and if you chose I mortal here, I'd kill it before it could do anything." He sighed, but moved forward to the mirrors which portrayed a different part of the forest.

He met Flame. The amber cat was staring at a young kitten as well, though it was purebred and son of a leader. It seemed sorrowful.

"Have something to say to me, scarface?" Flame spat, his gaze still upon the mirror.

"No, not at all," Lightning replied.

"You were probably going to say something about choosing a young one, weren't you?" growled Flame. "Oh well. At least I'm smart enough to look at the weaker ones and realize their strengths, hmm?" Lightning nodded despite no one looking at him.

"Yes, you are definitely a smart one," Lighting murmured. He began to walk forward when his feet began to burn. In fear of the fire, Lightning leaped forward and began to run. Distantly, he heard Flame laughing aloud.

When he stopped, he was breathing hard, and his legs were shaky.

"I hope you're not being chased," Rain said softly from her mirror. Lightning looked up.

"Sorry, Flame started -"

"No need for explanation, I can tell from his cackling what he did," Rain interrupted him. Lightning walked over to her and looked into her mirror as she did. A young but almost full grown she-cat was healing a massive, bloody cat. She was fine, though, not at all fazed by the blood. "Brave, isn't she? Not fully clan born, but pure-hearted for sure. I am curious about her."

"Snow told me I couldn't choose from RiverClan," Lightning said, hoping for another opinion.

"It would be wise for you to move to another pack, yes," Rain told him. "Three in one will begin wars. I would see if ShadowClan has any valuable mortals." Lightning's head lowered.

"Flame has claimed a cat from there and I don't believe it would be a good choice to decide on a mortal there," Lightning explained.

Without looking away from her mirror, Rain responded without expression, "No, that idea would not be a good one. ThunderClan, then?" Lightning sighed, but walked toward the sector of mirrors which showed ThunderClan territory. It was a very green place full of trees and aspiring undergrowth.

The cats there are strong, he noted as he watched a few brave cats battling against each other uphill. However, as he saw Mountain sitting by one of the mirrors his hopes crumbled. Cautiously, he approached.

The master of the Earth element was watching a young male cat with several different colors in his fur. He was a hunter by the looks of it, but other cats his age seemed to avoid him.

"Why are they avoiding him like that?" Lightning asked.

"You are old in the mind, but still young in years," Mountain growled. "This tom has not matured correctly, and is odd to everyone who speaks to him. I believe, most likely, it has something to do with a disease which cannot be helped."

"I wonder if any mortal I choose could change that?" Lightning wondered. The massive tom narrowed his eyes.

"No," he said. "I will not allow you to join the clan of my chosen one, and I will definitely choose from this clan."

"Flame and Snow already kept me from ShadowClan and RiverClan, though," Lightning responded.

"I do not care," he growled. "You are too dangerous." Lightning tensed, and before Mountain could see the sorrow in his eyes, he ran. This time, he didn't know where he was going. Away from the territories, perhaps.

_Air won't want me in the Grassland Pack either, Lightning growled to himself. I'm too unpredictable. _When he made it past all of the mirrors showing ThunderClan's territory, he stopped and simply began to wonder with his head low to the ground.

_Why was I created? If all I do is destroy, what is the point of my element? To give Flame something to destroy? To hurt Mountain's trees? To electrify the life in River's element? To cause fear? _

Lightning glanced at the mirrors, but he wasn't paying attention. _I'm just there to unite everyone else. They don't like me, so they have a common enemy. _

_I'm useless. _

"I'm useless."

Lightning looked up to the nearest mirror and found a young kitten barely old enough to hunt standing before a dirty puddle with a scowl on his face. Despite the tom's age, scars could be seen on several parts of his dark-furred body, and he was far too skinny. Confused, Lightning watched.

For the longest time, the kitten just looked at himself in the water, but soon a white she-cat walked up from behind him and said, "Shadow wants you immediately."

"What for?" the kitten asked.

"Don't ask me, Dark," the white she-cat sighed with exasperation. "I'm only the messenger." Dark stood up and followed the white she-cat with a low head. He scowled, an expression Lightning was very familiar with.

A clearing among the oak trees was what they finally came to. Small caves in the rocky walls surrounding the clearing were what the cats seemed to sleep in, but most were out in the spring weather talking to themselves.

Lightning noticed something about these cats, however. They weren't clan cats or exiled cats of the clans. They were rogues, and a large group at that. Beaten and broken, by the looks of it. Most of the cats looked better than the kitten, but many still had scars and were not getting enough food.

The kitten entered a cave and sat down in the middle of it with closed eyes and a lowered head. "You may leave, Winter," spoke the third cat in the room. The white she-cat nodded and left the den while the kitten, Dark, stayed completely still.

"How many times have I told you not to go wondering too close to the clan territory?" the third cat asked. He moved out of the shadows and Lightning couldn't help but gasp. The cat was massive, huge, almost three times the size of the kitten. He was completely black, short-furred, and had large blue eyes.

"I am sorry, Shadow," Dark responded. "I was chasing a rabbit for you, and I failed to notice how close I was to their borders." Out of no where, Shadow grabbed the scruff of his neck and threw him against the cave wall.

"'Sorry' isn't going to help you, Dark!" Shadow yelled. "If you are discovered, they will rip you to shreds and our plan will be ruined!" Dark slowly sat up in the same position as before and stayed silent.

"You wish to accept your punishment in silence, then?" Shadow questioned. "Fine." The large tom bit the young kitten's ear and ripped a part of it off. The kitten only flinched, nothing more.

Lightning's eyes were wide. _How could someone so young not cry out after that? _Some part of his mind answered, _You did the same thing._ He remembered when Snow and Flame had decided to punish him after the Great War. He remembered forcing himself to stay quiet and still as they burned through his own skinned and forced him into temperatures too hot and too cold for a cat.

As blood ran down the kitten's cheek, Shadow growled, "Now get out of my sight." Dark ran out of the cave and then out of the clearing without any healing. Once he was far enough away, he fell to the ground and began to shake.

"I'll kill him someday!" Dark hissed. "I'll show him I'm better than he thinks! I'll show him I'm just as strong as those clan cats!" His yelling soon turned into a soft sob.

H_e is just like me when I was younger, Lightning realized. _Air's suggestion came to his head, and he sat up straighter._He is the one I choose. He is strong enough to contain my power, and he already knows what it is like to be weaker than everyone else. I will grant him the power to defeat that massive cat._

With my power, I grant Dark the power of the sky.

* * *

**A/N :: I do not own Warriors. **

**NOTICE -+- **_Those of you who prowl this site often may notice this story is familiar, though not with my name as the author. I have been given permission to use this from a very good friend of mine, as long as it is revised._

_**Also!** -+- Please take notice that if you see 'wolf' or 'pack,' tell me so I can edit it out. The story was originally revised as a wolf story, and then revised back as a warriors story, if you were wondering. _

_This story is a larger one with many more point of views than is honestly advised. It was popular in its day, however, so I hope you enjoy it just the same. =) _


	2. Chapter 1 :: Sentenced

_With my power, I grant Dark the power of the sky. _

The voice echoed through his ears, startling him awake. As if an unseen force had pushed him, Dark's body fell right into a deep ditch full of water. The coldness of it caused him to thrash in panic.

_With my power, I grant Dark the power of the sky. _

Dark screamed at the voice and at a newfound feeling of illness throughout his body. It was a burning in his stomach, a numbness in his legs. Dark knew the flailing wasn't working, so he pushed himself out of the ditch and onto dry land, rubbing against the hard stones upon the edge.

"Found too many fleas in your fur, loner?" spat red and white furred tom with a tail just as fluffy as his coat. The other cats never commented or laughed about this aspect of the cat, for underneath the fur were sharp teeth and sharper claws one would never forget.

Dark, still shaking from the previous ordeal, growled as loud as he could, "I was cleaning off, dimwit. Wouldn't want me to show up at camp smelling like a dead fox, would you?"

"Watch your attitude, kit," the tom snapped. He bared his teeth and lashed his tail. "A loner like you shouldn't speak like that to me, your mentor and superior." Dark stiffened, but said nothing further.

"Shadow wants you to have his food at his cave by sunset," the tom said. "You better listen to him if you want to keep your face clean from any more scars." Dark nodded with respect. The tom scoffed and spat, "If only you were truly that obedient." The tom left, and Dark released a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

Dawn was almost over, he realized. It was late in the morning. Not that the time much mattered to him. It was still bitterly cold and frustratingly windy. It was just sunnier than normal, which he guessed would at least allow him an easier amount of prey to catch for Shadow.

For a young, small kit like Dark, walking upon the rocky terrain was difficult. The forest looked ten times more inviting, but it was where the clans had taken refuge. Their territory stretched to any sort of mild land the valley could produce.

_Those pups have it easy,_ Dark thought, though he was only repeating what others had said around him.

Hunting was easy for him despite his odd color. He was fast enough for most of the rabbits he hunted, and when he was lucky he managed to catch a few small birds and sometimes even an adder. Most of the time, however, he hunted for the small rodents like mice or voles.

Dark moved swiftly through the rough rock below the pads of his feet. A few times he slipped, but he simply regained his footing and continued forward. He walked until the sun was directly above him, looking for an acceptable hunting ground which others would not be using.

A shift in the rock in front of him made Dark raise his head and narrow his eyes. His gaze locked in with a black cat before him. The cat was small and thinly boned. As soon as both cats realized what they were staring at, they crouched down and growled at each other.

"This is my hunting ground for the day," the cat before him said firmly. "Leave, or I will force you!"

"I'm hunting for Shadow," Dark reasoned. "I have to hunt here."

"You're only telling me that so you can bring back the finest rabbit for yourself," the cat spat.

"I won't be long," Dark tried again. "Just one rabbit."

"Yeah, after you scare off the rest of the prey!" the cat barked. "Now get off this territory! It's mine! I got here first!" Dark hesitated. _If I don't go, I will have to hunt wounded by this mutt. If I do, I will be punished by Shadow for sure. This sure is a lose-lose situation._ Dark waited a few more moments before he decided. Unfortunately, his decision seemed to take too long.

The cat lunged for Dark's throat. With speed most cats his age only dreamed of having, Dark turned and dashed back the way he came. The cat managed to bite down hard onto one of his back legs, pulling him back.

Dark retaliated and went straight for the neck of the cat, easily managing a few bites. The cat yowled and let go, a shrill cry escaping his mouth. Dark, meanwhile, was already sprinting away, favoring his wounded leg.

There was a bellow from behind him, so Dark continued running. Eventually, when the yelling was no longer audible, Dark slowly came to a stop. His legs shook violently, so for a few moments, he just sat there licking off the blood on his leg.

Just by sniffing in the air Dark knew he was far from where he was supposed to be. The land smelled of WindClan scent, which mean he was close to the borders. _I must have been confused after he got me, _Dark thought_. I must have ran another way._

Dark breathed in and discovered three new scents, each belonging to different cats. He ducked behind the shrubbery in front of him. Thankfully, the breeze was blowing toward him, so the cats wouldn't catch his own scent.

". . .need to learn how to hunt correctly," teased the older pale tom. "If you don't learn quickly, you won't be able to teach Hawkkit or Falconkit."

"I've got three moons, Breezestrike, I think I can do it," claimed the smaller white tom with a smirk on his face.

"Of course you can, because I'm the one training you," said the older one, Breezestrike. "Now, what's the newest hunting stance I've taught you?" The white tom rolled his eyes, but bent down and showed the elder tom. "Good, but your tail needs to be lower when you pounce."

_He's teaching the kit?_ Dark thought. _That's odd. Why would they do that? They'll never learn how to fight on their own._ Dark himself was basically sent to the edge of the territory as soon as he came of age and told to hunt and fight or die trying.

"Did my father take this long to train?" the younger tom demanded. "It's taking me forever to master even simple hunting moves!" Breezestrike chuckled.

"He was more fighter, yes, but he wasn't as difficult as you," the older tom told him. "Your younger sisters should be the same." The grin on the young tom's face made Dark confused.

"I can't wait until their old enough to come out of the nursery!" the kit exclaimed. "I'll be the best big brother ever!" Dark frowned. _They're allowed to have families? They know who they are related to? Won't that just make them vulnerable when they have to fight?_ Dark bit his tongue. _This is Shadow talking, not you. He's cruel. He did all this to you and others to make sure we were the perfect slaves._

There was a pause in the conversation. Breezestrike had finally noticed the other young she-cat staring straight at Dark, who's heart began racing as soon as he noticed it. "Is there something wrong, Echopaw?" The young gray she-cat had narrowed eyes, and she had most likely seen Dark. I've got to run, I've got to run.

"There is a stranger nearby," the young she-cat explained. "Not a cat from the other clans. Young. A tom. . . .Wounded." Dark gasped. _How could she figure that out?_ Breezestrike growled, baring his teeth. The young white tom mimicked his elder immediately.

Dark took their moment of hesitation to lunge back up the hill of endless rock. Unfortunately, he stepped upon a slippery, mossy part of a rock and fell backwards right where the cats were waiting for him.

Dark growled viciously and snapped at the young cat. Breezestrike managed to grab the scruff of his neck and held him back. Dark twisted backward to attack the elder tom, but the young white tom used all his strength to pin him down. Dark tried to push away, but his strength was no match for the young white cat.

"Let me go!" Dark barked.

"I'm afraid that's not an option, as you were on our territory without consent," Breezestrike growled. To the young white tom, he said, "Excellent job, Cloudpaw."

"Thanks," Cloudpaw said with a smile.

"When you said young, I was expecting someone older than Cloudpaw, Echopaw," Breezestrike commented.

"I am sorry," Echopaw said with no recognition of the sarcasm in the elder tom's voice. "I cannot always predict a certain age." Breezestrike's eyes looked back to Dark and sighed.

"Now what would a young kit like you be doing out in a place like this?" Breezestrike asked.

"Like I would tell you!" Dark hissed. "Let me go, and we'll never have to see each other again!"

"There are other scents on him," Echopaw reported. "Many. Do you live with a rogue clan nearby?"

"Of course not!" Dark lied. "I live alone, and I always will! I don't need help like all you clan cats!"

"Scents do not choose who to be on," Echopaw said calmly.

"I ran into them about a day ago," Dark muttered. "They fought, and I fought back, happy?"

"Not entirely," Echopaw stated. "Why would a kit like you be out on his own? Where is your family, your parents?" Dark looked away and relaxed his body.

"They're dead," he said softly. He soon felt Cloudpaw's pressure lessen. Dark took his chance and pushed the young white tom off of him before dashing away. The three cats chased him, but after awhile, he heard Breezestrike yell, "Enough, Cloudpaw! He's too fast! He's leaving as he wanted to. so just leave him be!" Cloudpaw eventually stopped, and Dark continued running.

* * *

Dark limped into camp with his head low and a small rodent in his mouth. Cats which went about their own business suddenly stopped and stared at him, whispering as he walked past them. Shadow, who sat by his large cave, scowled.

Dark set the dead prey down in front of Shadow, took a step back, sat down, and lowered his head. He looked only at his paws, fearing what Shadow's icy blue gaze would do to him.

"What," came Shadow's loud, booming voice. "is this?"

"It is the only bit of prey I managed to find," Dark answered obediently.

"It is pitiful, that's what it is," Shadow spat. He moved slowly toward Dark, who's shoulders stiffened. "I ask for food. One meal. That is all I asked for the entire day. And you give me this. What right do you have to return with only this?"

"The prey was scarce everywhere I went," Dark explained quickly, his eyes fixed on his paws. "I was fought by a loner of ours, and I could not find anything on the way back. I am sorry."

"How many times must I tell you 'sorry' isn't enough?" Shadow demanded, circling him. "Despite your interruption, I gave you all day, which is more than -" The world seemed to stop. Everyone had stopped to watch the commotion, Shadow had stopped, and Dark could not breathe.

With no warning, teeth sunk into the skin on the back of Dark's neck. In seconds, Dark was thrown backwards into a nearby cave. His body slammed against the rock, cutting himself in many spots while causing cracks in other parts of his body.

"You have been conspiring with the clan cats!" Shadow bellowed. "Your scent reeks of theirs!"

"I was driven into their territory, and they attacked!" Dark said, coughing roughly. Gasping, he added, "I didn't tell them anything! To them, I am a stray!"

"Don't give me those petty excuses!" Shadow hissed. "Fox, Bear, constrain him!" Dark's eyes went wide.

"No!" he screamed. He tried to stand, but his body was not quick enough. Four paws were soon pressing down on him, despite his struggling. "Please, I didn't mean to! They don't know anything!"

"You are a liar, just like your parents!" Shadow hissed. "And now, just like them, you will die for your treason!"

"Wait!" shouted a tom. Dark could not see who he was, but he knew it was the cat whom he fought earlier that day. "He's telling the truth, I saw him! They captured him and questioned him, and he lied to them! They don't know about us!"

"Silence, Wind!" another cat spat. "Dark must die, no matter if he told them or not. He revealed himself to them, and that is against the Code." Dark's breathing quickened, and immediately he began to struggle, shutting his eyes tightly.

"Winter!" Shadow bellowed.

Dark felt teeth sink into his shoulder, leaving him to yowl loudly. Another set of fangs entered his leg, the one that wasn't already injured. Claws clawed at his skin, trying to keep him still. The pain left him unable to flail around and to slowly stop defying the cats keeping him down.

"Kill him quickly and leave get his body out of my sight," Shadow ordered. Dark opened his eyes weakly. Winter walked forward and, with movements like a poisonous snake, the young kit felt immense pain in his neck.

_Someone, help me!_ Dark yelled, his yaw clenched against the agony. As if on cue, the sharp pain stopped and the pressure on his body was lifted. Cautiously, the young kit opened his yellow eyes. Before him lay the three cats which were hurting him, and not one was breathing.

Dark's eyes were wide in an instant. As he looked upward to Shadow and the other cats, he found them just as shocked while saying things like 'monster' and 'killer.' Dark felt his heart begin to race and his breathing become faster.

_What did I do?_ the kit questioned himself.

_Do not worry,_ a distant voice responded. _Get up. Run. Do not let them hurt you again._ Dark hesitated, his gaze glued to the cats dead before him.

_Run,_ the voice said, this time more firmly. Dark complied. He stood and ran out of the clearing toward nothing.

"After him!" he heard Shadow bark. Dark ran faster, praying the leader wouldn't come chasing him as Shadow was much larger and ten times faster.

_I should be dead. . .How did I kill them?. . .I should be dead. . .How am I alive?_

_Just keep running._

Dark jumped over a boulder and slid down a steep bit of the mountain. Unceremoniously, he found his footing and dashed away from his pursuers.

"He's heading toward the border!" Dark heard Shadow yell. "Faster!" Dark continued to keep his numb legs moving.

_How am I faster?_ Dark asked himself. He quickly took the thought out of his mind and looked only at what was in front of him.

Streaks of certain colors began to shine bright. Above him, he was slightly aware of many clouds forming. Trees became obstacles, as did thick branches and logs. Thunder boomed distantly in his mind.

Dark was in pain, and he knew by simple logic. But power from the instinct to stay alive kept him going. It kept him running. He knew he passed the border by the scent, and when he looked behind him, he saw Shadow and a few others glaring at him.

"Let him be," he faintly heard Shadow say. "Let him die out in this storm like the weakling he is." Dark still ran. He did not want to take the chance. He leaped over a fallen tree and like that, Shadow was gone.

H_e's gone!_ Dark thought to himself happily, despite recent events. _He's gone, and I don't have to go back!_ Momentarily in his blissful joy, he forgot to pay attention to where he was going. He accidentally put his foot in the wrong spot and tripped.

Jagged movements of blurry scenery flashed by him as he felt his body tumbling through the air and then -

Nothing.

* * *

**A/N :: I do not own Warriors. If I did, I probably wouldn't be using my time writing fan fiction. ;)**

_Same as before, please alert me with anything indicating my characters are wolves. Last chapter that I will ask this of you, I promise. _

_Thanks for the reviews, and those who helped me. =) _

_- :: - The Assassins Anthem, may darkness be with you._


	3. Chapter 2 :: Healed

Mudroot looked up. As usual, he went alone on his hunting patrol. He didn't mind. They all were busy, doing what strong warriors did. He walked through the forest with ease. He appreciated StarClan. They gave him a lean body. Good for hunting. Good for climbing.

The snow had stuck to the ground. Leaf-bare had arrived. The closer to the lake, the more snow. That's what Addertooth told him. So he avoided that place. He followed the border. Good prey there. That's what Addertooth told him.

"Look up," he told himself. He looked up.

"Look around," he told himself. He looked around.

"Look behind," he told himself. He looked behind.

Mudroot nodded and continued forward. The storm had begun sometime two nights ago, and it didn't stop. It was an awful storm. Hail. Rain. Lightning. Fires. Wind. Awful.

A scent came to his nose. Unfamiliar. He jumped up a large tree and continued climbing until he was high enough to be safe. Addertooth taught him that. He carefully checked every plant, every patch of snow. Nothing. Where was the scent coming from?

Mudroot sniffed in again. He found it. Next to a dark tree in the shade was a cat. A cat not of the clans. Not of his clan. Trespasser. Mudroot watched it. It wasn't moving. Why wasn't it moving? Dead? Not dead. It breathed. Mudroot continued watching it.

He smelled it. Blood. Lots of it. Was it dying? He was faster. He could get away if it attacked. But he stayed in the tree. Addertooth knew better. He stayed there for many moments, hoping it would get up and walk away.

"Mudroot!"

Addertooth.

"Shh!" he said as he saw her. Dark brown coat, almost red. Yellow eyes. Amber eyes. Like fire. Like flame. "Trespasser!"

She looked up, saw him, and asked, "Mudroot, what are you doing up there?"

"Trespasser," Mudroot said again, flicking his tail toward the culprit. Addertooth glanced at it. After a few moments, she gasped.

"It's not a trespasser, it's a kit!" Addertooth exclaimed, rushing over to its side.

"Too old to be a kit," Mudroot told her. "Apprentice."

"He's wounded," Addertooth told him. "Come down her and help me."

"Trespasser," Mudroot repeated.

Her yellow gaze found him again. "Mudroot, this is still a kit. We must help it as the Warrior Code has taught us. Now get down here and help me." Mudroot lowered his head. Addertooth was not usually angry with him.

Quickly, he slid down the tree and approached the scary trespasser. He was small, but looked mature. Like Duskstar. There were more scars on his face, though. And scratches. And wounds. And he was skinny, like the rabbits a few moons into leaf-bare.

"Other scents on him," Mudroot said.

"I know, but we must help him," Addertooth told him. She reached over to pick him up, but recoiled with wide eyes.

"This was a killing wound!" she gasped. She turned to face him. "Mudroot, you have to stay with him. Don't move him, just make sure nothing kills him. Please. I will return with Fernfur." Without another word, she was off toward camp.

Mudroot looked back to the kit. He was small, very small. Weak. Almost dead. But important to Addertooth. As respect to her, he leaned down and began to lick the blood away. It was a horrible taste that came to his tongue, but he kept Addertooth in his mind.

Near his eye, Mudroot noticed a small mark which was neither a scar nor a burn mark. Curiously, he cleared it of any dirt and blood. The mark resembled a bolt of lightning. He stared at it for many moments.

Anger. It was what Mudroot felt. He hadn't a clue why. But he felt it. Soon after, he unsheathed claws. Kill him, kill him, kill him. He responded: _But Addertooth wants to save him. _

_With my power, I grant Mudroot the power of the ground. _

Immense pain erupted in his stomach. He yowled in agony. What had the pain come from? He coughed. He tensed. Nothing helped. It seemed to go on forever, and he didn't like it. He closed his eyes, unsheathed his claws into the earth, but nothing worked.

The agony lessened. He opened his eyes. When did he fall to the ground? He sat up quickly. No pain. What happened? He looked around. A tree had fallen several fox lengths away.

"Mudroot!" Addertooth screamed. Mudroot turned.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I heard you screaming!" Addertooth shrieked. "What happened?" Mudroot blinked.

"I don't remember," he replied. "I watched him. I hurt. I woke up. I was fine."

"Are you alright?" Addertooth asked quickly. "What's that next on your cheek?" Mudroot tilted his head.

"My cheek?" he asked. She didn't answer. She turned. She had heard Fernfur arrive. And others.

"Addertooth, is everything okay?" a light brown she-cat asked.

"Yes, Mudroot's fine," Addertooth said. She sighed with relief.

"Of course," scoffed a dark gray tabby tom. "Little kit was just yowling like a mouse-brain."

"Brambletooth, shut up," Addertooth spat with her ears back.

"Where is the other one, the kit?" Fernfur asked patiently.

"Over here," Addertooth responded She walked toward the kit. "I didn't want to move him in case I reopened an injury."

"Good thinking, Addertooth," Fernfur praised. "He would not have made it. . .These wounds are deep, but I can manage. There is still a chance of death however. . .What's this? This looks like an unsuccessful killing wound. . ."

"I recognized it too," Addertooth stated.

"Who would want to kill a kit?" the other tom asked.

"Trespasser," Mudroot said.

"There haven't been rogues in these parts for years, mouse-brain," the tom spat.

"I suggest you stay quiet if you don't want your fresh kill poisoned, Owlclaw," Fernfur said calmly. "Do you all have your cobwebs and the herbs? Bring them here please." The warriors did as told. Fernfur began her work.

"So are we bringing him back to camp?" asked Brambletooth.

"Duskstar said we could," Addertooth responded.

"The others didn't seem so keen upon it," Owlclaw pointed out.

"Well they can break the Warrior code if they wish," hissed Fernfer. "This kit needs help. He probably won't be able to hunt for another moon." She had applied all of the cobwebs. Herbs next. Stinging herbs. Mudroot didn't like them.

She placed the herbs on his shoulder. He flinched. Was he awake? His eyes opened weakly. Striking, they were. Yellow. Like the sun.

"He opened his eyes," Owlclaw said.

"Thank you, Obviousstar," Addertooth spat. "Is he awake?"

"Yes, but I doubt he can really see anything or feel his own body," Fern explained. "He can feel pain, though. Keep him calm for me while I apply the rest of the herbs."

Addertooth moved. She was then where the kit could see her. "Can you hear me?"

At first, the kit did not respond. Many moments passed. As weak as a new kit saying his own words, the kit said, "Y-yes." After a few more seconds, he asked, "Where. . .where am I?"

"You're in ThunderClan territory," she answered. Her voice was soft. And smooth.

"Don't ask him too many complicating questions and don't answer with too many words," Fernfur instructed. "His mind might not be working correctly."

"What's your name?" Addertooth asked. She had acknowledged Fernfur with a nod. The kit thought hard. It was difficult. What was he thinking? Could he think?

"Dark. . ." he said softly. He closed his eyes. He opened them. ". . .Shadow. . .gone. . ." Mudroot tilted his head. The kit smiled. Why?

"What did he say?" Brambletooth asked.

"Shadow," Addertooth answered. "Then the word 'gone.' Could it be a relative?"

"These names aren't warrior names," Owlclaw warned.

"Does it matter?" Brambletooth asked. "We could find his father and mother." Dark's smile disappeared.

". . .Can't. . ." he whispered.

"Can't find your mother or father?" Addertooth asked. He nodded. "Why not?" Dark just looked ahead to nothing at first.

"Dead. . ."

Dead? Mudroot had heard of this. Warriors died. Not often. But it happened. Usually, it was of illness. Battles rarely broke out. But considering the wounds. . .Is that how they died? Died. Did that mean he couldn't go back to them?

Fernfur put another herb on a wound. He flinched again. He fell asleep. Peaceful. Kit-like. Easy. Was he going to die? Was he dead?

The rest of the afternoon was spent in silence. Warriors came. Questions. Then they left. It took a long time. Fernfur was persistent. Dusk was nearing by the time she stood up straight.

"So are we taking him in?" Owlclaw asked.

"Yes," Fernfur answered. "He has no other place to go. But we must be careful. Death is still an option for this poor kit."

Mudroot took a step forward. Brambletooth pushed him away.

"She said we have to be careful," Brambletooth growled. Addertooth couldn't hear it. "You'll just kill him faster."

Mudroot took a step back. He followed them. It wasn't hard. Just keep walking. He was worried. Addertooth was worried. The kit was important to her. Important to him.

_StarClan,_ save him. _For Addertooth. _

It was cold. It was dark. It was a long walk. They made it to camp. Many warriors were waiting. Queens, too. Duskstar was on his ledge. They all watched. No one moved. Then they saw him. They saw the scars. Gasps, whispers, fearful whimpers.

"Is he alright?" asked Firestrike, the deputy.

"There is a good chance he will live," Fernfur explained. She motioned for the warriors to bring the kit to the medicine den. "There is still a chance he will die, however. For now, all I can do is keep an eye on him and pray to StarClan his wounds heal. If he does make it through the next few nights, it will take another moon for him to be able to train."

"Train?" Firestrike questioned. He narrowed his eyes. "We aren't certain we're keeping him."

"His parents are dead, what else is there to do?" Fernfur hissed.

"Duskstar has yet to decide," Firestrike growled.

"No, this clan has yet to decide," Fernfur said. Her tail was lashing. "So what if he's scarred and broken? We can heal him. We can help him to be the best warrior this clan has ever seen."

"The decision has not been made," Firestrike said firmly. "When he has the ability to think properly, alert one of the warriors or me. Duskstar wishes to speak to him before he makes the decision."

"Come on," said Addertooth. Mudroot looked to her. "Let's go to sleep. We've both had a big day." Mudroot followed her to the warriors den. It was odd. He was used to the apprentices den. He lay in his nest. Next to Addertooth. No one else.

"Addertooth?" he asked. She looked at him. She had beautiful amber eyes. "The kit." Addertooth sighed.

"I don't know, Mudroot. He may live, he may not. If he does, I want him to be an apprentice. He seems strong enough, if he can live through a wound like that."

"Why?" Mudroot asked.

"Do I want him to live?" Addertooth finished. "I. . .I'm not sure. I think. . .I think he reminds me of my brother." Mudroot nodded. Her brother died in a fox accident. Good tom, at least to Mudroot.

"What do you think of him?" Addertooth questioned.

"Important to you, important to me," Mudroot answered. She smiled.

"That's my Mudroot," she said.

Mudroot felt proud. He liked being her Mudroot. Ever since they were kits. She was older. Much older. But she still helped. Even after she was an apprentice.

'Going to run away scared now that we're apprentices, Mudkit?' Brambletooth had asked. The tom had become an apprentice. 'Going to go and get yourself killed, mouse-brain?'

'Don't call him that!' Addertooth had hissed back. She had been apprentice for a moon. They listened. They always listened to her. But she always helped him.

She was his safety.

* * *

Mudroot woke the next morning. Nothing changed. The kit was mostly asleep. Awake for only a few moments. The next day was the same. Same the day after that. Addertooth was worried. He hated that. He wanted the kit awake. Addertooth needed to be happy.

In four sunrises, he woke. Four sunrises of sleeping. Addertooth was happy. Mudroot was happy. After he ate, they went to see him. He was better. Less bloody. He sat up weakly. Talked softly. But he was awake.

"Thank you for the prey," Dark said after he was done. He was anxious. Did he expect them to be mean?

"No problem!" Fernfur said. She had a bright smile. "After all the pain you've been through, it's no doubt you were hungry." Dark nodded. He didn't say anything more. His gaze was at the wall of the den.

"The leader of our Clan will be here shortly," Addertooth explained. "He wants to know what happened. If you have all of the right answers, he will let you stay with this clan since you're parents are. . .gone." Dark's eyes narrowed. They weren't pointed toward Addertooth. Did he not like her?

"You-you want me to stay?" Dark asked.

"Of course!" Fernfur answered. "Who would send an injured kit like you away?" Dark's eyes glazed over. Was he were thinking of something? Mudroot wondered what it was.

"If I'm injured, I couldn't hunt for anyone," he told them.

"You will in a moon or so, and if you already know how to hunt, you'll be -"

A large cat entered. He was a light brown color, and his fur was long. His eyes were light blue, and striking. Dark stared. His shoulders stiffened. When Duskstar looked at him, he looked down.

"You must be Dark," Duskstar said smoothly. He sat down across from the young tom. "I am Duskstar, leader of ThunderClan. It has been a difficult few days for you, as I have heard from Fernfur. Would you like to tell me what happened that made you so injured." Dark continued to look down. He was quiet for a few moments.

"My parents decided to move from the farm to the forest," Dark began. "We were near the WindClan border when. . .when the rogues attacked. I fought my hardest, just like my father taught me, and because of them I escaped. But they died. They were outnumbered." Duskstar was quiet for a few moments. The kit should have been crying. Most cats did when remembering. Elders did. Why didn't he?

"You did nothing wrong, I assure you," Duskstar said carefully. "I am astounded a kit of your age already knows how to fight. Do you know how to hunt as well?" Dark nodded. "Then you are far ahead of many apprentices moons older than you. They are the kits in training. Should you choose to stay here, you would be training with them." Dark nodded again. There was a small pause.

"Fernfur as explained that a few of your scars are older than a few days, more like a few moons," Duskstar said calmly. "Could you explain this?" Dark hesitated.

"The life of a loner is harsh, especially when there is only three," Dark replied. "My father was far more scarred than I. After a few battles of my own, I decided I wanted to learn on my own. It was safer, as we both wasted less energy, and I learned faster."

"But you were hurt. . ." Addertooth murmured.

"I was stronger than anyone my own age, which surprised my enemies," Dark said. "Without that decision, I would be dead." Duskstar stared at the kit.

"You are brave, Dark, and your struggles have indeed left you strong," Duskstar said finally. "You did what most warriors could not do, and such a decision has led me to believe giving you shelter, food, and family is no danger. You may stay if you wish." Dark did not look up or give an answer. The leader sighed, "Dark, look at me." Dark flinched. Dark looked up. His yellow eyes showed worry. "Do you wish to stay here in ThunderClan?"

"Yes," Dark said quickly. Duskstar gave a warm smile.

"Then I shall make the announcement to the clan," Duskstar stated. To Fernfur, he asked, "Is he well enough to walk to the entrance of this den?" Fernfur nodded.

"Yes, but no more," she said. The leader gave a sharp nod. He stood. He left. Dark relaxed. Why was he scared?

"Addertooth, you and Mudroot better get out there," Fernfur said. "I'll help him over to the entrance." Addertooth smiled. She led him to a crowd gathering at the high rock.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the high rock!" Duskstar called. The cats gathered. The kits stayed in the nursery. Mudroot liked that den. Very cheerful.

Once all the cats were gathered and Dark could be seen at the entrance of the medicine den, Duskstar said, "As all of you know, a kit was found four sunrises ago. This kit, Dark, has awoken and has revealed to me that he has no home or relatives to return to. Because of this, I am allowing Dark to become one of us. A warrior of ThunderClan." There were whispers. Did they not like him? There were shouts. Did they not agree? There were glares. Did they not like the idea?

"Duskstar, if I may," Firestrike began. He had interrupted the other cats. Quieted them. "This tom is a loner. The other clans will look down upon ThunderClan if they knew we were letting in cats like we have in the past."

"I do not wish to tell the clans immediately," Duskstar announced. "I will let Dark prove himself as an apprentice and a warrior before letting them know about him."

"And his training with those wounds? He will be behind." Firestrike reminded him.

"He is already ahead, if what he has told me is true," Duskstar responded. "Dark needs us, and by the warrior code, we must help him. So by the power given to me by StarClan the day I received my nine lives, I give Dark his ThunderClan name, Darkkit, until his wounds have healed and Fernfur has declared him fit enough to train to become a warrior." Duskstar stepped down from the high rock. Everyone dispersed into small groups.

Addertooth and Mudroot didn't move. She was smiling. She said, "I can't wait until he's an apprentice! I wonder who his mentor will be?"

"You," Mudroot said. "You mentor him." She grinned.

"That would be pretty cool, wouldn't it?" she asked. Without an answer, she went on, "I think it would be awesome to train someone as lonely as him. I could help him grow to know how to be a normal kit for once." Mudroot nodded.

As long as she was happy.

* * *

Lightning ran as fast as he could, sprinting away from the massive brown tom. He ducked away from flying rocks and evaded pillars rising from the ground. His lighting purple eyes were wide, and his tail was huge.

"Come back here and face your punishment like a tom, you traitor!" Mountain yelled.

"I didn't do anything!" Lightning shouted back. "I chose him when he was out of ThunderClan!"

"Well now he's in, and you betrayed me!" Mountain hissed.

Lightning ran faster, right into a pillar he hadn't seen. He collapsed to the ground. A bolt struck the ground inches from Mountain. Fire erupted, and so Flame came into being. More lightning came, and the ginger cat hissed with fury, shooting flaming spouts of fire toward him.

Lightning stood. He evaded the fire and the rock with the agility and speed of a god. He ran more, noticing water beginning to collect on one spot. When Rain came into being, the rain pushed him into a fast flowing river, forcing him to be pulled under water.

When the water kept getting colder, Lighting hurriedly pulled himself out of the water. Snow began shooting ice spikes toward him, though each was brought down by a lightning bolt. He forced the rocks off course, and he forced many lightning bolts to come near Flame and Rain in order to blind them from him.

It was not enough. A stray rock hit his shoulder, an ice spike tore a scratch in his shoulder, and his leg was burning. Another rock hit his stomach and he fell again. This time, however, a gust of wind came up in front of him, revealing Air to the rest of the Elemental Cats.

"What in StarClan's name are all of you doing?!" the usually calm tom bellowed throughout the field.

"His weak little mortal entered the clan my cat is in!" Mountain shouted back with his teeth bared. "He is not allowed in ThunderClan!"

"Dark is a rogue, how was I supposed to know he would run to ThunderClan?" Lightning questioned after he carefully stood. Air turned to face him.

"A rogue?" Air inquired with narrowed eyes.

"You told me I could choose anyone I wished," Lightning said. "I chose him."

"Was he with a particularly harsh group of other rogues?" Air asked. Lightning frowned.

"He was, but I managed to save him before he was killed," Lightning responded. "That's how he got into ThunderClan." Air looked to the ground.

"What are you thinking, wise one?" Rain asked from her position at the river.

He looked up to Rain and the others and said, "The rogues Lightning's mortal was with is the very darkness we're trying to protect the clans of." There was a small silence. Then an uproar.

"You treacherous snake!" Snow hissed.

"Are you trying to have us killed?" Flame demanded.

"You've allowed a traitor in the clans!" Mountain bellowed.

"Enough!" Air yelled, his voice rising above the others. When they became quiet, he turned to Lightning with soft eyes. "Lightning, I'm going to have to ask you to choose another -"

"No!" Lightning shouted, his claws unsheathing. In the distance, thunder rolled and lightning sparked. "Dark isn't one of them, he hates them. They tried to kill him," he added darkly. "Ever since he was born, he was beaten and starved, and he is barely old enough to become an apprentice. I saved him. I want to help him. I won't change just because of his heritage, just like Snow won't change just because her mortal is not clan born, or Flame's because of the accidents he's had."

"Lightning -" Air began harshly.

"Is there anyone like me in your mortal's Clan?" Lightning questioned. "Even if I had looked, there probably isn't. Dark is exactly like me."

"Yes, because that's exactly what we need," Snow growled. "Another raging lunatic unable to control the most powerful element of all." Lightning's eyes narrowed. _I'm tried of this. You think I'm a lunatic? Well how about now!_ Three strikes of lightning came toward her, stopping only inches from her face. Snow shrieked.

"I said that's enough!" Air hissed, sending a gust of wind toward Lightning. He was pushed over.

"Snow, you know as well as I do that lightning is an element which needs to be controlled, and to be controlled, the holder must realize the extent of his power and what it can do," Air hissed. "Lightning has gone through this, he knows what could happen if he lost control."

"That's my point," Snow spat. "What happens when that mortal of his gets angry at another apprentice and strikes down the whole forest? Lightning should be unable to give his power to anyone."

"Absolutely not!" Air said harshly. His eyes were narrowed dangerously. "His power is the one which keeps the clans from death. Without it, they will be outnumbered."

"So what, we just let a mortal jump into the fray and kill as many cats, evil or not, as he wants to?" Flame asked with his tail lashing.

"I will train him," Lightning spoke quickly, before Air could answer. "I will teach him how to control it, so he can be useful to you." Air nodded.

"Does everyone -"

"I don't trust you to train him correctly," Mountain put in. "You've been treacherous before."

"I was younger then!" Lightning hissed. "I know where I belong now. Please, just let me keep him."

"He isn't a ball of moss you can 'keep,' Lightning," Rain reminded him.

"But he's the closest cat I have to prove I can help you, and that I'm not uncontrollable," Lightning said. "I am strong. I can teach him to be strong too. Just let me." Rain's eyes narrowed.

"I believe we should allow you to try," Rain said slowly. "However, we should allow the medicine cats to know, even my mortal. If a few know, then they can watch. ThunderClan's medicine cat could help keep the tom under control."

"It can be done," Air said. "Each of you will have to speak to the ancient leader of your clan, and then once the half moon comes, speak to the medicine cat of your clan. If this comes through successfully, would all of you agree to leave both Lightning and his mortal alone?" There were murmurs of 'yes,' but not everyone liked it.

"There is a rule I must also put into place," Air announced. "Your emotions are not allowed to persuade the emotions of your mortals. Let them choose on their own. If not, I will suspend your powers, and I will do so for many years to come. Am I clear?" A defined 'yes' was heard. "Then continue with your work."

Lightning once again jumped into the sky before anyone could stop him.

* * *

**A/N :: I do not own Warriors. **

_Hello again! =) Mudroot, I must say, is going to be an interesting character because of how he thinks. He's different, as you can see. I would say he has something similar to Autism. And before you say 'cats can't have mental diseases,' remember that cats can't cry either, but people animate/draw/write them doing that all the time. So I think I can do this. _

_For those who read the original story, you can already tell Mudroot's story is going to be COMPLETELY different. This is because, after talking about it with the Endless Hourglass, I have decided to show this reason of being Unwanted. He is 'different,' and other cats know it just by talking to him. As my sister has a mild case of Autism, I think I will write this aspect pretty well. =) _

_To my reviewers! _

_Usually I leave these to PM, but just these once I'll post it here. =) _

Snowsong_ :: Thanks! I will definitely continue. I really like this story myself. _

Meow_ :: I thought I saw that Username! =) I'm glad to have you reading this story once more. Thanks for the help! _

lucky 333123_ :: I will let you know ;) _

Frostblaze_ :: 'Epic' has never been a word described to one of my stories. O.O Thanks! _

Barkstar_ :: First of all 'Bark' is a very interesting prefix. Where did you get it from? Thanks for the help! =)_


	4. Chapter 3 :: Punished

"Are you mouse-brained?" Rowankit questioned. Flamekit smirked.

"'Course not, brother, or you would be too," Flamekit stated, looking back at the brown kit with mischievous green eyes. "After all, they say being mouse-brained runs in the family." Rowankit glared, but this only made the ginger tabby laugh out loud.

"Flamekit, really, are you_ trying_ to get us caught?" Yellowkit questioned with exaspiration. "It was you who begged us to come out here anyway." Flamekit rolled his eyes as he pranced down a particularly steep slope.

"Are we really going to go over this again?" Flamekit said. "Honestly, you two have no fun. "I'm telling you, this place is awesome. Like the island of the Gathering awesome. You'll know what I mean when I get there, if you two would ever keep up."

"You're the only one who's been outside of camp before, remember?" Yellowkit hissed. "The least you could do is slow down. We've never had to hurry over these rocks!" Flamekit sighed.

"I suppose you're right," he said. Then he looked around the bend, and with a large grin, he bounded over to the sight. Shouting, he said, "Look! There it is!" He ran right up to the cliff, gazing excitedly into the abyss of charred forestry.

"What is this, Flamekit?" Rowankit asked with wide eyes.

"Remember that fire that dad was talking about?" Flamekit asked. "This is how it turned out! Isn't it awesome?" Yellowkit's fur seemed to stand up, and her tail grew two sizes.

"This was made by a fire?" she questioned. "That's dangerous, though, isn't it?"

"No it isn't!" Flamekit claimed. "Watch!" Without an ounce of hesitation, he jumped down onto the warm ash, walking on it with ease. "See? Completely harmless." He walked a little further and jumped onto the stump of a fallen tree. It was even warmer there, but he wasn't being burned.

"I don't know, that still looks like it would hurt," Yellowkit said uncertainly.

"Seems fine to me," Rowanpaw answered. He leaped down to the ash. As soon as he landed on it, however, he screamed and scrambled back up to Yellowkit. "Flamekit, that hurt!"

Flamekit, with a frown, tilted his head and asked, "Then how come it doesn't hurt me?"

"That ash almost burned my paws off!" Rowankit hissed with his tail flicking. "Were you trying to kill me?" Flamekit lowered his head.

"Sorry, Rowankit," he murmured. "I didn't know it would hurt you. But watch!" The ginger tabby tom jumped down from the stump and padded over to a heap of ash. He swatted it away and dug it all up until clean dirt showed underneath.

"The dirt doesn't burn!" Flamekit exclaimed with excitement. "And if you look real close, you can see the fern returning."

"Great," Rowankit hissed. "That's all we came out here to see? We are going to get into trouble because you wanted to show us ash?" Flamekit sighed.

"I guess you guys aren't intelligent enough to know what this really means," Flamekit sniffed, though there was still a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Oh, stop being dramatic, Flamekit," Yellowkit sighed. "We need to go home now. Mother will be worried with us gone." Flamekit looked down at the small plant.

"No," he said, surprising even himself.

"What?" Yellowkit asked.

"No," he repeated. "I don't wanna go home. I want to stay right here."

"Really, Flamekit? You're just gonna stay here until a patrol finds you?" Yellowkit questioned. "You're such a mouse-brain! They're gonna make you keep the name 'Flamekit' forever!"

"I don't care," Flamekit said. "I don't want to leave."

"Why? So you can turn into a black cat and burn your paws off?" Rowankit spat.

"I like it here," Flamekit said firmly. "And if you want to leave, you can. There's nothing stopping you."

"If you haven't noticed, we can't get back on our own," Rowankit growled.

"Not my problem," Flamekit responded.

"You're such a selfish, bird-brained, proud little -"

"Do you guys smell something?" Yellowkit cut him off.

"What, going to start telling ghost stories?" Rowankit hissed. "There's nothing different. Now come on, we could at least try to get home. I want to become a warrior one day." Flamekit stiffened.

"What are you talking about?" he growled, looking up to his brother. "I want to become a warrior too!" Rowankit shrugged.

"Then come with us," Rowankit said.

"No way!" Flamekit shouted.

"Fine, then you'll never be a warrior," Rowankit told him. "Shadestar will just refuse to name you, and you'll be forced to stay in the nursery all your life. You'll always be treated like a kit. After all, you're acting like one."

"Am not!" Flamekit hissed.

"Are to," Rowankit responded calmly. "You're acting younger than Ashkit and Blackkit." Flamekit narrowed his eyes.

_I'm not acting like a kit, he's just being a mouse-brain and trying to get me mad!_ Flamekit thought angrily.

"Flamekit's acting like a kit! Flamekit's acting like a kit!" Rowankit sang, recognizing Flamekit's fury.

"Stop!" Yellowkit hissed, but Rowankit continued singing.

Finally, Flamekit took a step forward and yelled, "I am not a kit!" At the same time, a tree near his siblings burst into flame and fell. Flamekit's eyes were wide, and as he watched the tree engulf his brother and sister, he swore his heart stopped.

Immediately, he sprinted back up the cliff and ran over to them. Yellowkit was neither burned nor squished. Rowankit, on the other hand, was struggling to get up while trying to flee the fire.

"Rowankit, just calm down," Yellowkit said hurriedly.

"It's gonna kill me!" the brown kit squealed out loudly.

"No, it won't, not if you listen to me," Yellowkit responded.

"I didn't mean -" Flamekit began.

"Just go get the dawn patrol," Yellowkit hissed sharply. She was worried. She always got bossy when she was worried. Still, Flamekit frowned. "Flamekit, hurry!" With a small pause, Flamekit ran back toward camp as fast as he could.

_Please,_ he thought, _Please let Rowankit be okay. _

* * *

Flamekit did not sleep that night, or the next. He just sat in the corner of the nursery looking at the ground. His mother was not seen in those to days. Neither was Yellowkit or his father. All he did was stare at the ground, allowing the two other mothers look at him with worry.

_Rowankit is going to die,_ he decided, _and it is all my fault. _

_Stop crying,_ a voice in the back of his head ordered. It was simply his own, but it wasn't helping.

"Flamekit."

The ginger tabby looked up with a lowered head. His mother, Scorchwhisker, stood with narrowed eyes above him.

"Come," she ordered sharply. As she turned and walked out of the nursery, Flamekit followed. He didn't say a word, only walked forward with his head down and his tail drooping. He didn't even notice any of the whispers as he walked across the camp.

All except for his father, who said, "I am disappointed in him, yes. He should have known better. He should be mature enough by now to realize the dangers of the outside world, no matter if he is still a kit or not." Flamekit continued to look down at the ground as his mother lead him to what he assumed was the leader's den.

_He hates me,_ Flamekit thought. _My dad hates me. _

As he entered the den, he continued to stay by his mother. Flamekit sat down quick enough after his mother did, and looked at his paws instead of looking up at her. Even as he waited, he didn't move.

"Thank you, Scorchwhisker, for bringing him as I asked," came the voice of a tom who entered the den. "I had to ask a patrol to search around the RiverClan border since the dawn patrol was occupied this morning."

"Yes, Shadestar, that is understandable," Flamekit's mother responded. There was a small pause.

"Flamekit, you have put your brother and sister in danger, and one of them is in the medicine cat den right now recovering from an extensive burn wound," Shadestar told him. "Do you understand the seriousness of your actions." Flamekit nodded. "Hmm. And do you realize that I must and will leave you as a kit until I deem you worthy to become an apprentice?" Flamekit nodded again.

Shadestar sighed and said, "Son, look at me."

Flamekit wanted to shut his eyes and close them forever, but he did as he was told. His father's sleek black coat and sharp amber eyes showing the utmost disappoint was what he saw.

"Why did you do this? I thought you knew what it meant to be responsible," Shadestar said. "Do you not remember what I have taught you?"

"I remember," Flamekit responded. "I just. . .I didn't think anyone would get hurt."

"The fire was only put out two sunrises ago, is it not common sense that the ashes were hiding hot coals underneath?" Shadestar asked. He was being sincere, for reasons Flamekit knew not.

"I. . .I'd already been there before," Flamekit explained, his eyes traveling unconsciously back to his paws. "The day you all discovered it, I went and explored and I found the ashes. And I walked on them. They didn't hurt me." Scorchwhisker scoffed.

"Lies!" she spat.

"Silence," Shadestar hissed. "Continue, son." Flamekit nodded slightly.

"They didn't hurt me, so I thought they wouldn't hurt Rowankit or Yellowkit, and I wanted to show them what I saw," Flamekit said. He felt tears well up in his eyes. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt. And when the tree burst into flame and fell on Rowankit, I didn't know what to. I didn't want him to get hurt."

"The tree didn't catch fire because you made it, Flamekit," his father said. The ginger kit looked up at his father immediately.

"But it did!" Flamekit cried. "Everything was completely fine until Rowankit got me angry. Then the tree reacted and tried to hurt him! It was my fault!"

"Are you trying to tell us you have some special power over fire?" Scorchwhisker asked. "There is no such thing a cat with powers. Have you gone mouse-brained?"

"Enough!" Shadestar demanded. To his son, he said, "Flamekit, you must have been imagining these things."

"No, I wasn't, ask Yellowkit!" Flamekit stated.

"We intend to," Shadestar explained. "First, however, we decided to deal with you. Now, you already know your punishments. You will not become an apprentice for some time, and you will not be allowed outside of the nursery for a few sunrises. Am I clear?" Flamekit nodded.

"Then you may leave," Shadestar told him.

The next day, he had become completely alone. Rowankit and Yellowkit were given their apprentice ceremony, and he wasn't even allowed to see it. Scorchwhisker and his siblings moved out of the nursery, and no one moved in. It was only him.

_I don't like being alone,_ he thought. _I want to be with Yellowpaw and Rowanpaw._

_You're not all alone,_ came a strange voice. _You've got me, remember? _

"Who are you?" Flamekit asked with narrowed eyes as his memories wondered back to the voice he'd thought was his own.

_I am Flame,_ the voice answered.

"Why in StarClan's name does your name sound like mine?" Flamekit asked with caution.

_It is by coincidence, for I didn't know your name when I chose you,_ Flame responded. _However, We are much more alike than you will every know. But never mind that. While you are stuck here, there are things I would like to teach you. _

_Teach me? But I'm not allowed to be an apprentice yet,_ Flamekit thought.

_Yes, young one, but I am not a mentor, I am something greater,_ Flame answered. _Do you remember when the tree burst into flames and fell? That was you. You did it._ Flamekit frowned and a low growl escaped his throat.

_This does not mean I am blaming you,_ Flame answered quickly. I_t means I am willing to teach you so it will never happen again. Are you willing to listen to what I have to say and do what I have you do?_

Flamekit nodded despite his suspicions. If it meant learning something. . . Flamekit said after a few moments, A_s long as it means I won't hurt anyone else. _

_If you pay close attention, there will be no reason for you to hurt anyone,_ Flame responded.

Flamekit grinned widely.

_When do I start? _

* * *

Flamekit was allowed out of the nursery just two sunrises later. However, he only went out to eat, for Flame had kept him interested and busy with his training techniques when it came to controlling fire.

The kit enjoyed his training sessions. Flame seemed to understand him, seemed to know what caused his sadness and anger, and then he seemed to know how to make it disappear, just like that. To Flamekit, his mentor was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Flamekit was eating a piece of freshkill near the fresh-kill pile when Yellowpaw and Rowanpaw came back from a sunhigh patrol near the ThunderClan border. Scorchwhisker immediately ran over to Rowanpaw.

"How was the trip?" she asked her kit. "Did everything go alright?"

"Perfectly, mother!" Rowanpaw exclaimed with a wide grin. "There was no trespassing, and nothing dangerous out their at all! They were probably scared of my new fighting skills, or the fact I'm the great son of the deputy and the leader! Oh, and we saw a ThunderClan patrol come. They had their medicine cat with them, too!"

"Oh?" Scorchwhisker asked. "And what did they have to say?"

"One of their apprentices was injured in a fight with a fox, and they needed more herbs since there isn't much growing in their territory," Rowanpaw reported. "We told them we'd give it to them. But I made sure to give questions first! Tawnyleaf said I did awesome!"

"Excellent work, my son! I am so proud of you. . ."

"Makes me want to vomit," Yellowpaw spat. Flamekit blinked and looked to his sister, who had walked over to him as he listened to his brother and mother.

"Yeah, me too," Flamekit murmured. "But there's no use to cry like a kit, right? You don't have to put up with that as much now that you're an apprentice."

"It's not her coddling that makes me sick, it's the fact she only does it to Rowanpaw," Yellowpaw announced with a scowl. "She's never treated us fairly, especially you." Flamekit shrugged.

"After what I did to Rowanpaw, I deserve it," he said. "Is he doing okay?"

"He has a scar, that's all," Yellowpaw responded. "It only hurt for a few days anyway. He just made it seem like a lot. He's back on his paws now, that kit." Flamekit smiled, his eyes gazing distantly at her.

"Are you alright, Flamekit?" she asked. "You haven't really come out of the nursery much." He shrugged.

"There hasn't been a need to," Flamekit responded. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by Flame.

_Do not say a word. Only you can know about this. _

"Don't worry, our father can't force you to be a kit for too long," Yellowpaw reassured him with a wide smile.

The gloomy day had suddenly become darker as white flakes began to fall from the sky. As soon as one hit Flamekit, he shivered. The flakes only came faster and faster as the moments went by. Yellowpaw noticed this easily, as she did most things.

"Come on, let's get somewhere warmer," Yellowpaw urged. She lead him to a den he was unfamiliar with, and immediately, he stopped.

"Yellowpaw, this is the apprentices' den, I don't think this is a good-"

"What," came the deep growl of his brother. "is _he_ doing here?" Flamekit lowered himself to the ground.

"I didn't -" Flamekit began. Yellowpaw, however, interrupted him.

"Rowanpaw, he's your brother!" she exclaimed. "He's not some rogue with a history to tell! He has every right to be here as you do!"

"He's not an apprentice yet," Russetpaw, another apprentice, spat. "He's not allowed in here."

"There's no where in the warrior code which states that, so I don't think that matters," Yellowpaw hissed with her tail lashing.

_I should leave,_ Flamekit realized as he saw the four other apprentices in the den approach him slowly.

_I wouldn't,_ Flame warned him. _Rain and snow have an awful way of hurting someone who controls fire._

"He hurt me on purpose!" Rowanpaw growled. "You saw it, plain and clear!"

"How dare you!" Yellowpaw shrieked. However, Flamekit was already gone. He tried his hardest to dash back into the nursery, afraid he might be seen. The wind, however, had picked up, and was pushing him to the side as the cold snow settled in his fur.

It began to burn him, and because it was a sensation he had never had before, he yowled in both surprise in pain. _Run,_ Flame told him, _Run to the nursery, now!_ Flamekit didn't hesitate. He dashed toward the nursery and tried his hardest to ignore his burning coat.

When he got inside, the sharp pains evaporated over a few moments, though he still felt hot and his body ached. He lowered himself slowly into a laying position and exhaled. His legs were shaking and his eyes were wide.

"What was that?" he demanded out loud.

_I told you water would hurt you,_ Flame said indifferently. In a softer tone, he asked, _Are you alright?_ Flamekit nodded, though he still hurt.

_When will it go away? t_he kit asked as the pain continued.

_Until you're dry, unfortunately,_ Flame answered. _Just stay still and try to go to sleep. _

_But I don't want to go to sleep,_ Flamekit murmured, though exhaustion was dragging his eyelids down. _I want to learn more about fire. . ._

_I will meet you in your dreams,_ Flame promised him._ Physically, however, you need to rest._

And so he did.

* * *

**A/N :: I do not own Warriors. **

_I don't really know where I was going with this chapter other than showing you all what Flamekit was going to be like. It didn't really suck, I guess, but I feel like there should have been more. _

_Anyway, I'm really sorry about the Flamekit/Flame mix up. I only noticed half-way through that Flame's name resembled Flamekit's name a lot, and unfortunately, I'm not changing it. Unless it's annoying you. If it is, please let me know. I have future ideas which could mean a change in his first and last name. =)_

-+- _The Assassin's Anthem, may darkness be with you_


	5. Chapter 4 :: Scared

Hawkkit was up before anyone else. She had stumbled out of the nursery and was sitting in the middle of camp, breathing in the morning air. She always loved dawn, and the breeze kept her calm and soothed.

The calico she-cat was short-haired, so of course she was cold. Hawkkit didn't mind the cold as much as her sister, however. Falconkit never enjoyed the snow, even though it had only been on the ground for a quarter-moon.

"Out again, Hawkkit?"

The three moon old kit turned around quickly, but saw only Echopaw, the light gray she-cat everyone else seemed to be afraid of. With a wide smile, Hawkkit nodded.

"I like it in the morning," she responded cheerfully.

"I do as well," Echopaw agreed. "It is quiet, soft. Unlike many things in our world."

"I like it because when the sun comes up, it becomes all bright and light outside," Hawkkit claimed, her eyes twinkling as dawn's rays appeared. "Just think about it. If we didn't have morning, we wouldn't have the sun. If we didn't have the sun, it would be dark all the time. I don't like the dark." Echopaw nodded, a bleak smile on her face.

"That is intelligent thinking, young one," Echopaw told her. "Not many think as you do." Hawkkit beamed.

They sat and watched the sunrise in silence. Before long, the deputy arose and ate her fresh-kill before waking the warriors to assign the patrols. The leader, Fogstar, sat and watched the sunrise as well, glancing a few times at Hawkkit, who didn't realize she was staring at him. She always admired the leader.

"Hawkkit! Oh, thank StarClan you are alright!" gasped her mother, Featherflight. The morning softness was over at that moment. "I thought you'd been kitnapped!" Hawkkit rolled her eyes.

"I always get up early, mother," she reminded the paranoid queen.

"Is there a problem?" Mudrock, a young tom, questioned.

"Oh, no, not any longer, thank you," Featherflight reassured him. Looking back to Hawkkit, she said, "Wake me up and tell me where you are if you're going out."

"I did," Hawkkit said. "You just don't remember."

"Then tell me twice, just to make sure," her mother told her. "Now, would you like some fresh-kill? The dawn patrol should be arriving soon -"

"No they shouldn't, they just went out," Hawkkit interrupted.

"Of course, sweetie, of course, now let's see. . .what was I going to do. . ." Featherflight said, drifting after a while as she spoke to herself.

"So, what were ya doin'?" Falconkit asked. Hawkkit smiled at her brown-furred sister.

"Just watching the sunrise, that's all," Hawkkit answered. "Hey, you wanna go see if Heatherpaw and Stormpaw are awake?" Falconkit nodded, and the two kits hurried toward the apprentices' den, where they heard six very loud sleepers.

"Stormpaw! Heatherpaw! Wake up!" the two siblings shouted into the den before bursting into giggles as each apprentice shot straight up from their nests and looked around wildly.

"Oh, it's just you," growled Crowpaw. "Would you two just leave us alone? We've been training hard for the past four sunrises!"

"No need to be hostile, Crowpaw," said Cloudpaw calmly. The white apprentice was the eldest, so the angry black apprentice just muttered something before curling back up on his nest. To the sisters, Cloudpaw asked, "What is it you wanted?"

"We wanted to play with Heatherpaw and Stormpaw!" Hawkkit replied brightly. The two apprentices mentioned shrugged.

"Don't see why not," Stormpaw stated. "Littleleg hasn't come to get me yet."

"Rabbitheart hasn't either," Heatherpaw responded. "Well, what do you two want to do?"

"Teach us some hunting moves!" Hawkkit demanded, standing up proudly with her chest puffed out.

"Come on, then!" Stormpaw urged. The two apprentices dashed around the kits and to the middle of the camp in just a few heartbeats. Hawkkit and Falconkit followed to the best ability which their small, three moon legs could provide. When the bigger cats finally stopped, the lesson began.

"So, show me your best hunting crouches!" Stormpaw began. His light blue eyes shined with pride as the kits complied to his 'order.'

"You've got to keep yourself balanced, Falconkit," Heatherpaw instructed. "You don't want to fall over and give a rabbit a head start."

"Hey, I'm giving the critique here!" Stormpaw hissed, though he was smirking. "Hawkkit, you need to be a bit higher from the ground."

"No I don't," Hawkkit claimed quickly. "The lower I am to the ground, the more my pounce will take me and the better start I get when I'm running after a rabbit."

"I never said you were running after a rabbit," Stormpaw reminded her.

"You never said I wasn't, so I thought I was," Hawkkit said back.

"Well, then you're in the right position for chasing rabbits, but not for hunting voles," Stormpaw told her. "To do that, you have to -" He stopped as he saw Hawkkit shift her movement to the right position. ". . .do that."

"How did you do that?" Heatherpaw asked. "It took me moons to realize the difference, let alone correct it!" Hawkkit sat down and gave a shrug.

"I've seen you and Stormpaw practicing lately, and I just caught a few things and moved my body like you did. It wasn't that hard, really," Hawkkit explained, though her head had moved upward.

"Well, then let's try something harder!" Stormpaw announced.

"Hey, what about me?" Falconkit questioned. "You haven't taught me the difference between those two positions!"

"Heatherpaw, you teach Falconkit," Stormpaw told his sister. "I'll see if I can give Hawkkit a challenge." Hawkkit smiled, but she didn't ignore the frown her sister wore.

Until sunhigh, they worked. Some of the warriors watched on their free time, even the apprentices' mentors came to look at the kits. The apprentices, however, continued teaching without any fear of being drug away from the playtime.

Eventually, Fogstar had come back out from his den again. Upon the high rock, he announced, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the high rock!"

Hawkkit whined, "But I don't wanna stop!"

"Oh, stop crying," Featherflight told her young kit. "Now come on, let's get back to the nursery. . ." So Hawkkit and Falconkit were ushered back into the nursery. They still watched from there, however. Hawkkit had argued with her mother enough about the rules that she was now allowed to watch all of the clan meetings.

"Today, WindClan, we celebrate the wondrous day which one in training accepts mastery and becomes a warrior under the sky of StarClan," Fogstar called out. His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear, but not booming like thunder. It was smooth, calming. Hawkkit wanted her voice to sound like that one day. "Echopaw, please step forward." The gray she-cat did, though there was no smile and no expression of joy on her face.

"I, Fogstar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand they was of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn," Fogstar recited the traditional words. Continuing whilst staring at Echopaw, he said, "Echopaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Echopaw, still without the slightest amount of emotion, nodded as she said, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Echopaw, from this moment on you will be known as Echostrike. StarClan honors your intelligence and agility, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan."

After Fogstar had finished, the clan changed Echostrike's name. They congratulated her after Fogstar dismissed the clan, and they told her how proud they were. However, her expression never changed. She thanked them, of course, but she was indifferent to the whole situation. Hawkkit didn't mind this. Sure, she was strange, and her oddities made her scary, but she was who she was, and she wasn't afraid of showing it. Hawkkit admired this about Echostrike.

"Congratulations on your name, Echostrike!" Hawkkit told the gray warrior as soon as she was allowed out of the nursery.

"Thank you, Hawkkit, I appreciate your gratitude," she said. "I do not feel in the mood, however."

"Is something wrong?" Hawkkit asked.

"I do not know," Echostrike told her. "I do not understand what I feel, but I am going to be alert. I feel danger is near." Hawkkit frowned. Whenever Echostrike had a feeling, it was usually right, like when she knew there was a loner kit on the territory even though neither Breezestrike or Cloudpaw could see it.

"Shouldn't you tell Fogstar?" Hawkkit asked. Echostrike sighed.

"He doesn't always believe me, but I shall try," the gray she-cat said. "Stay aware of your surroundings, Hawkkit." The calico she-cat nodded and watched Echostrike walk away toward the leader's den.

Unfortunately, Echostrike's intuition did not fail her.

It was dusk, and Hawkkit had begun to think Echostrike was just feeling the after affects of being congratulated too many times. The dusty mist had arose and the suns heated rays had nearly disappeared, leaving the air crisp and cold as if it were dawn. The warriors which had dawn patrol were already asleep, and a few elders were sharing a piece of fresh-kill together before they went back to their den.

And then they heard it.

Echostrike, who had just sat down for her vigil, gave a loud, alerting caterwaul. The whole clan was on its paws, waiting for the danger which was to come.

"What is it?" Hawkkit asked as Echostrike dashed to the center of camp.

"Rogues," she said. "Lots of them. Get to the nursery, now."

"But -" Hawkkit began.

"Do not think you can fight fully grown cats at your age, Hawkkit, or you will destroy every bit of estimation everyone has of you," Echostrike interrupted her. "Now go!" Hawkkit, realizing the stupidity of her actions, turned and sprinted back into the nursery, where Featherflight basically shoved her to the corner where Falconkit sat, shaking violently.

Hawkkit could not see because of the dimming light and her mother, who stood between the den entrance and her. _If she doesn't move, we'll be cornered here! We should be in the middle of the den! _

Yowls of agony and wails of anger could be heard. Hawkkit grew more and more worried with every second, knowing all too well Echostrike and her father were out there fighting for their lives and had a very high chance of dying.

The wind picked up. Light came from somewhere, and Hawkkit could see the shadows of battle. She gasped as she saw blood splatter near the entrance. The WindClan cats were fighting, but the rogues were not making it easy at all.

"Hawkkit, you're tail is on fire!" Falconkit screamed.

"Shush!" Featherflight hissed, though she looked down at Hawkkit's tail and gave a surprised gasp herself. Hawkkit's eyes were wide. Why was the squiggly black part on her tail lighting up like the full moon?

Suddenly, a dark shadow hung over her. She looked up and saw dark amber eyes staring down at her. The tom chuckled and said, "Lookie what we have here. Shadow has been wanting to add a few kits to his collection. . ."

"If you come any closer, I will hurt you!" Featherflight warned.

"As if a she-cat could do any damage to a tom," the rogue spat. Featherflight hissed, and bared her teeth, but the tom was agile and quick. He unsheathed his claws and swatted their mother aside in just a few heartbeats.

"Mother!" Falconkit cried. Hawkkit just stood frozen in place.

"Now, which one of you is the prettiest?" the tom wondered aloud as he inched toward them. As he studied their coats, Hawkkit thought desperately of what she was going to do.

In a split second, the tom lunged, and in that second, her instinct chose for her. She jumped in front of Falconkit and growled, seeming to let out a gust of wind which blew the rogue out of the den.

The tom began to get up, and immediately Hawkkit tensed her muscles. The air grew thick and the pressure seemed to weigh on her. However, she managed to stand through it, despite her inability to breathe.

Eventually, after Hawkkit's lungs seemed to be empty of air, she let her tense muscles relax, and the pressure was gone. The tom collapsed and did not move. Featherflight was breathing heavily beside Hawkkit, with wide eyes and a loud heartbeat.

"What. . .what did you do?" was all her mother managed to say.

Hawkkit's eyes narrowed. _I just made him go to sleep, right?_ Her intelligent brain, however, knew perfectly well the tom was not breathing, and had not been since she let go of the pressure in the air.

"What was that?" Cloudpaw asked. "Is everyone -" He stopped, his eyes widening at the sight behind him. Hawkkit turned, and immediately the world stopped. Falconkit was asleep. She wasn't breathing. She wasn't moving.

"No. . ." Hawkkit whispered. "No!" The calico she-cat rushed to her sister's side and immediately began to shake her, praying to StarClan she would awake. "Please wake up, please wake up. . .Falconkit!"

"What in StarClan's name. . ." came a low voice from outside of the den.

Hawkkit wasn't paying attention. _Don't die, don't die! She's just sleeping. She's just sleeping. She couldn't die. .. how could she die at such a young age? StarClan wouldn't let her die. . ._

"Thornnose, get over here now!" Cloudpaw called.

_I'm never going to be able to see her again. . .I'm never going to play with her or fight with her, or argue with her ever again. . ._

A tabby tom entered and began to check Falconkit. In just a few seconds, he took a step back and said, "I'm sorry, Skyclaw. . .She's gone. . ."

_I did this. I made it so she's gone. I did this. . ._

As the news spread, silence came. The rogues were gone. The dead lay scattered. The injured stood among the healthy. They all watched the nursery with sadness, even as Hawkkit was lead out by Cloudpaw and Featherflight was taken by Skyclaw.

"What happened?" a distant voice asked. She didn't care to name the cat.

_She's not coming back. She's gone. _

"Explain yourselves immediately!" Fogstar demanded from the high rock. Hawkkit's eyes were on the ground.

_I killed someone. . ._

"There was glowing within the den, and one of the rogues began attracted," Cloudpaw explained. His voice was a mumble. Soft around the edges with nothing hard, nothing audible. Like the blurry picture of when one wakes. "Featherflight protected her kits, but was knocked unconscious. Then the tom came toward Falconkit, and Hawkkit leaped in front and. . .and there was a gust of wind, and then. . .well, I'm sure you know the rest. The next thing we knew, the tom and Falconkit were. . .were dead."

"StarClan must have made a mistake, then, for sending winds so strong. . ." Fogstar murmured.

"I did it. . ."

Hawkkit didn't know why she'd said it. She didn't even know she had. All she knew was that she was opening her mouth, and the cats around her responded with confusion.

"You could not have controlled the winds," Thornnose told her. "Only the Elementals of StarClan can do that."

"I did it. . ." Hawkkit repeated. "I wanted to blow the tom away. I wanted to keep him from breathing. I didn't want to kill Falconkit. . .I did it. . ." A tear escaped her dull amber eyes which no longer sparkled as it had that morning.

"Impossible," Thornnose growled. "There has never been a cat of the Clans which have held the powers of an Elemental, much less the power of the wise Air."

"Don't be so certain, Thornnose, many cats here saw her use the power," Fogstar said. "The symbol on her tail, if I am not correct, is the symbol of the great Air, no? Does this not mean she controls air?"

"So what if she does?" Skyclaw hissed.

"She killed Falconkit," Fogstar responded. "And she has been chosen by StarClan to control one of the most important powers of the world." There was a silence.

"So what do we do?" someone asked. "She's killed a cat!"

"It was an accident," Cloudpaw defended.

"What if she has this 'accident' again?" the cat asked.

_What if I. . .?_ Hawkkit's eyes widened.

"Then I suppose we must ask StarClan for answers," Fogstar told the warrior.

"She could kill a whole lot of us by then!" the cat shouted. The cats behind her began to whisper nervously.

_What if I do? _

"Hawkkit would never do that!" Cloudpaw hissed. "She can learn how to control it!"

"How? None of us know what to teach her," growled another tom.

"That's why we'd ask StarClan for help," Cloudpaw stated.

"How long would that take?" Skyclaw asked. "If she can't control it right now, who's to say she won't kill someone else?"

The world stopped.

_Dad is scared of me._

"Hawkkit was scared when she was doing it this time, so she won't use her powers if she's calm," Cloudpaw said.

_Dad is scared of me. _

"Are we just going to keep her in the nursery, then, so she doesn't endanger the rest of us?" a she-cat asked.

_Dad is scared of me. _

Hawkkit turned tail and sprinted out of camp. She didn't care who was following her or who wasn't, only that she was running. She hadn't a clue where she was going, only knew that she was going, and she didn't plan to come back.

_Dad is scared of me. _

Hawkkit could not see much, for dusk had fallen. From afar, she could see the sparkling lake and the almost full moon, but that was about it.

_Dad is scared of me. _

Finally, after a long bit of running, she found herself at the marshy point by the lake. She looked across to ShadowClan and felt herself cry. And for a long time, that is all she did.

* * *

Hawkkit didn't realize she was asleep. As her eyes fluttered open to the dark night and adjusted to the lack of light, she took notice that she was not in WindClan, but in a dream. Thornnose was always talking about dreaming about StarClan. Could this be one of those dreams?

"You are truly an intelligent one, young Hawkkit."

Hawkkit squinted her eyes and as a gust of wind blew by, a light gray cat became visible. He was old, but he seemed strong. "Who are you?"

"I am the one they call Air," the tom answered. "I am the reason you control the power of the winds." Hawkkit frowned.

"I killed my sister," she stated.

"Yes, I know," Air responded. "I realize it was hard for you, but one must always remember their age before their tragedies. You are not the only mortal with problems such as death and loss." Hawkkit nodded.

"But. . .but why am I not sad?" Hawkkit asked.

"Well, why aren't you?" Air countered. Hawkkit thought for a long moment.

"Because I know it was an accident," she replied. "Because I know I can't change it. Because I know. . .I know it happened for a reason."

"Exactly," Air praised, a smile on his face.

"But what reason?" she asked. "Why did she have to die?"

"Do you understand ignorance?" Air questioned her.

"It's when someone doesn't know something," Hawkkit replied.

"And how do you fix this?" Air inquired.

"You learn it," Hawkkit answered.

"Did you know about what battle, death, and loss felt like before tonight?" Air asked. "Did you understand how it would feel to be accused of killing an innocent being?" Hawkkit looked down, but shook her head. "You know, and that is a step closer to becoming wisest amongst the warriors. It is your destiny." Hawkkit's amber eyes twinkled, but not with happiness. With sorrow's tears.

"How?" Hawkkit asked.

"One day, you will understand," Air told her. "One day you will know why you must become the wise one, the one to advise the leader." Hawkkit's eyes narrowed.

"Fogstar?" Hawkkit questioned.

"No, another, one who also controls an element, just not yours," Air explained.

"But you lead the elements, so wouldn't. . .wouldn't that make me leader of the mortal elementals?" Hawkkit asked. Air chuckled, a kin-smile on his face.

"You are already clever, aren't you, Hawkkit?" Air wondered to himself. "Yes, I am the leader of these elements. There is one who is quicker, sharper, and though controlled by the fury of fire and the coldness of ice, will surpass me by the time the upcoming war is over. So be the adviser, young one. Be the one of wisdom, and I will show you how to control this free element which tries so hard to be uncontrollable." Hawkkit narrowed her eyes. She wanted to ask more questions, but as the wind blew faster, she could tell it was blowing his figure away.

She nodded, "I will do my best."

"Then may we meet again, Hawkkit, tamer of the winds, wisest of them all," Air said wistfully. And then he was gone.

* * *

The next thing Hawkkit knew, it was morning and she was again next to the lake which lapped at her paws. She sat up with a rumbling stomach. I should hunt, she thought. So she stood and looked around quietly for food.

"There isn't anything out this time of day worth eating."

Hawkkit squeaked and turned around. She relaxed when she saw Echostrike and said, "Oh, it's only you. Go away. I want to be alone. . ."

"No, you don't," Echostrike told her. "I have been alone, and trust me, you do not wish to be that way."

"But nobody wants me anymore," Hawkkit said with her head low. "Dad is scared of me. . ."

"You would be too, if you saw what you did," Echostrike stated. "However, they have no right to treat you the way you did. You haven't done anything like this before, and you could figure out how to control it yourself."

"But what if I can't learn?" Hawkkit asked.

"You underestimate your abilities," the gray warrior sighed. Hawkkit looked back to her paws. The morning breeze blew, and for the first time, Hawkkit shivered because of it.

"What did you mean when you said you've been alone before?" Hawkkit asked. Echostrike, who continued looked across the lake, went deep into thought.

"I'm not Clan born," she said. "I was a loner, at least I think so. My mother. . .she didn't love my father. That's all she would tell me. Sometime in leaf-fall, I was born, and my earliest memory was of traveling through the horse places. We met many. . .cruel cats. My mother fought hard for my life, and one fight was just too much. She died when I was about your age." Hawkkit gasped.

"I traveled alone, hunted on my own, and fought on my own," Echostrike continued. "I had to kill, for the injured toms which I battled with wouldn't give up. Eventually, I came to WindClan, and they took me in. No one really enjoyed my acceptance, and though they've accepted me, they've never asked. They've never even wondered what I was. They only knew I was a kit which needed to be taken care of."

"What. . .what was your name?" Hawkkit asked.

"Echo," Echostrike answered. "For the way my meows sounded when I was born in a cave near the mountains." Hawkkit frowned. _I don't really have it that hard. There are cats who's lives are worse than mine._ For some reason, a dark gray apprentice with striking golden eyes came to her mind. He disappeared before she could wonder why.

"Well, I won't be alone if you stay with me," Hawkkit stated.

"What?" Echostrike questioned.

"I'm not going back," Hawkkit announced. "It will never be the same if I do. They'll all think I'm going to kill them, and Thornnose will think I'm some sort of StarClan cat reincarnated and I just. . .I just want to be normal." Echostrike gave a bleak smile.

"You truly are the brightest kit of your age," she told the small kit. "And I shall stay with you, if that is what you wish."

"Really?" Hawkkit asked, her eyes brightening again.

"Yes, but you will learn how to hunt and fight on your own," Echostrike warned. "You will live the life of a loner, just a loner of WindClan. Do you understand." Hawkkit nodded.

"Of course!" Hawkkit squeaked. "You want to make sure I'll be fine on my own if anything ever happens to you, and that I know how to survive like all cats do!" Echostrike stared at the younger cat, but she did not say anything.

"Training begins after breakfast," Echostrike announced.

Hawkkit grinned a grin she didn't think was possible after last night.

* * *

**A/N :: I do not own Warriors. **

_..._

_..._

_..._

_Thank you, to all my reviewers! _

_Yeah, I have no idea how Echostrike came up, or Hawkkit's personality, or her parents, or this whole chapter. It kind of just came to me, which may be why it's a little rushed. And I haven't had someone die in my life, so I have no idea how someone so young would react to that. -.- Write what you know, my loyal readers. Write what you know. _

_So, two more chapters, and introductions will be over! (hopefully. . .) Soon, more of the elementals will meet each other, and then, almost quite literally, all hell will break loose! :D (I'm too creepy sometimes. . .) _

-+- _**The Assassins Anthem, may time be with you**_


	6. Chapter 5 :: Warned

"You're fine, Oakpaw, just a bit of a cut, nothing more," Leopardpaw told the brown apprentice. "That branch was sharp, but not enough for me to make you stay here." Oakpaw nodded.

"I still think Hailpaw put that branch there on purpose!" he spat. "That stupid she-cat is always trying to hurt me!" Leopardpaw rolled her eyes. _Oh what stories and legands could to do to kits, _she thought.

"Hello, Owkpaw, what have we got here?" Reedfur, Leopardpaw's mentor, said as he came in. He studied the cut very carefully. "Looks like we'll have to put marigold on that cut, eh, Leopardpaw? You should probably be exempt from your dutites today as well, though I'm sure my apprentice has already told you this. . ."

"No she hasn't!" Oakpaw hissed, glaring at the silver tabby she-cat.

"No? Well, I'll speak with her later," Reedfur told the apprentice as he chewed the marigold. "Come here, so I can apply the herbs." Oakpaw did as told, and after her mentor applied some more cobwebs, the brown apprentice walked away.

Leopardpaw's head lowered as she endured the silence. Eventually, she spoke up, "I'm sorry."

"What for, young one?" Reedfur questioned. "You are an apprentice, mistakes are to be made. I am, however, disappointed. I thought we have been through cuts and their complexity." Leopardpaw nodded.

"We have," she said softly.

"Well, no need to be saddened," Reedfur told her with a kind smile. "You'll do better tomorrow. For now, why don't you find some more Marigold?"

"Don't we have enough until the next gathering?" Leopardpaw asked.

"Yes, but Streamstar has finally decided to allow us to take herbs to the ThunderClan medicine cat," Reedfur explained. "Nasty business, foxes. The victims are often a pain to take care of. But anyway, would you mind getting the herbs?" Leopardpaw nodded, happy to make up for her mistake. "And don't forget to take a few warriors with you. Dangers lurk outside the camp."

Leopardpaw nodded once more before she turned around and padded out of the den. She didn't really know which warriors to take, so she started toward the first group of young cats she saw, which were gathered near the fresh-kill pile.

". . .'bout scared me to death," one of the tom's was saying.

"Excuse me," Leopardpaw said politely. The group turned to face her. Nervously, she went on, "Are any of you willing to fetch some marigold with me? Reedfur wanted me to, but he was worried about some dangerous things. . ."

"Like Hailpaw? Well no wonder!" claimed Duckfeather, a brown she-cat. "Have you heard what she's done, kit? She's been going around the borders killing off tons of prey and leaving the bones! Blood has even begun to stain the ground! And that ice land she lives in is only getting bigger."

"Some say she can control ice," Palepool, a gray tom, put in.

"I've heard her claws are six times longer than Streamstar's!" another warrior exclaimed.

"Well, she won't be anywhere marigold is," Leopardpaw attempted.

"I'm not going with you," Palepool said. "That's a suicide mission!"

"That's worse than going on a patrol! At least there are more cats in those," the third warrior explained. Leopardpaw sighed. After a few seconds, she turned and walked away without listening to Duckfeather's response.

_Stupid warriors, too afraid to even go out in there own territory!_ Leopardpaw growled to herself. So she continued walking until she was out of camp and into the dark, black and white territory. The fires had burnt all of the forestry, and the snow covered the undergrowth. It truly was beautiful, however, in it's own way.

Closest to the camp, she knew she wasn't going to find anything, so Leopardpaw padded quickly through the sea of snow and made her way toward the northern border, for there the snow was less plentiful.

The further she went, the colder it got. She had never been near the northern border. Reedfur always went to get the herbs. She began to slow down as she noticed frost sticking to the black branches of the burnt trees.

A rustle came from the bushes, and she turned quickly and looked around with wild eyes. Nothing. Calming down, Leopardpaw faced back to where she was going and noticed a stream completely frozen over with ice. Upon it, a den-like structure also made of ice.

"What are you doing here?"

Leopardpaw let out a squeak and searched for the owner of the voice above her. That is where the mystical, wispy, spooky voice had come from. She began to shake. She could not see her. She could not see Hailpaw.

"I-I just came to get some herbs!" Leopardpaw called out, hoping the she-cat could hear.

"Everything here is frozen, if you haven't noticed already," Hailpaw's voice sounded again. Still, she was invisible.

"But this is the only place marigold will grow!" Leopardpaw cried out, trying hard not to sprint away.

"And that's my problem?" Hailpaw hissed. Her voice was distant, as if being carried by the breeze. But it was scary, as if being said by one of the dark forest. "Leave, before I make you."

"But I need -" Leopardpaw began. She was interrupted by something blue and sharp coming toward her. Without a moment to move, it came toward the medicine cat apprentice. However, it exploded into water before it actually punctured her skin.

Leopardpaw stared at where the ice shard had come toward her. A flash of white was all she saw. And then she ran.

* * *

"You cannot be afraid of someone younger than you, and then also proceed to forget the herb which you went out to get," Reedfur scolded her. His lecture had been going since she returned at sunhigh. It was now dusk. Leopardpaw's deep blue eyes were fixed on her paws and her head was low.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"'Sorry' doesn't heal wounded warriors," Reedfur said. Leopardpaw simply stayed quiet. With a sigh, the medicine cat stood and left the den, leaving her alone.

Leopardpaw sat in her next and began to cry. It was of sadness, shock, confusion, and of disappointment. Sadness, because she had let Reedfur down. Shock, because of what happened with Hailpaw. Confusion, because she just couldn't understand what happened with Hailpaw nor why Reedfur was acting so impatient. And, finally, disappointment in herself, because ever hope of getting her full name in that moon had gone and disappeared entirely.

_What's wrong with me?_ she asked herself. Leopardpaw tried to sleep, but every single time, she would see the ice exploding in front of her. _It should have killed me,_ she thought. _It should have killed me, but instead, it turned to water._ She knew one thing: Hailpaw did indeed control ice, though Leopardpaw was not sure of how she could.

_Snow could have given her the ability,_ Leopardpaw thought._ In the stories, the Elementals often disquised themselves as a mortal cat to solve issues or arguments. Is Hailpaw a version of Snow right now? _

Something within her pointed out, _Would that mean Rain is you? _

_That's impossible,_ Leopardpaw thought. _I am just Leopardpaw, the medicine cat apprentice who can't do anything right._

Until moonhigh, Leopardpaw kept herself busy by sorting the mangled herbs. She was worried for her mentor, for he had not returned and neither had the warrior he'd gone with to get marigold.

And then it happened.

She heard commotion, but figured there was just some news of a battle she'd be cleaning up after later. Warriors tended to be very rowdy when WindClan or ShadowClan decided to be rebellious. It was one of the reasons she decided to be a medicine cat.

"Leopardpaw, are you here?" demanded her mother, Stormlight. The gray apprentice stood and tilted her head, looking at her mother with confusion. The yellow tabby warrior was shaking, and her eyes were wide.

"Yes, mother, what's going on?" Leopardpaw responded.

"Duckfeather got into a fight with a lone rogue, and it doesn't look very good," Stormlight explained quickly. Leopardpaw's eyes narrowed.

"But what about Reedfur?" she questioned. Her mother paused, but after a long while, she sighed.

"His body is in the forest," Stormlight answered. Leopardpaw gasped. Dead? But she wasn't ready to become a medicine cat! "Leopardpaw, snap out of it! You have to heal Duckfeather, remember? You're the only one who can!" Leopardpaw nodded absently.

"Yeah, yeah, bring her in. . ." Leopardpaw said softly, blinking away her thoughts. A cat was in trouble. She needed to help her.

Leopardpaw turned and gathered the correct herbs._ Cobwebs, marigold, poppy seeds. . ._ the list went on, but eventually, she had everything she needed from the corner as Duckfeather was being dragged in. He was unconscious.

"Will you be able to heal her?" asked Palepool. Leopardpaw nodded.

"Just give me enough space," she said. Immediately she recognized the need for cleaning the large gashes which hid the actual wounds from her. Leopardpaw did this as fast as she could, and instantly, she became worried.

The gash on his neck was a killing wound, and it was succeeding, for Duckfeather's breathing was shallow and very slow.

"What's wrong?" Palepool demanded.

"This wound is going to take a while to heal properly," she lied. She began to apply the marigold and the cobwebs on the smaller wounds, knowing full well a simple cobweb wouldn't heal it. After the other wounds were taken care of, she turned to the impatient warrior and ordered, "Get a ball of moss full of water. This wound is slightly infected, which could potentially kill her." With wide yellow eyes, Palepool did as he was told.

When he returned, Leopardpaw applied the balls of moss on the wound. Almost immediately, it shimmered brightly, as if the water was from StarClan. Leopardpaw watched with narrowed eyes as the wound closed up slightly and stopped bleeding. Like magic.

_I did that,_ a voice told her. This one was not hers.

Leopardpaw urged herself to continue her healing. After several more heart-beats and near silence from everyone in and outside of the den, Leopardpaw took a step back and let out a long breath.

"She will be okay," Leopardapw told them all. "Just a few scratched. Depending on her recovery, she should be able to resume her duties the day I. . .I leave for the medicine cat gathering at the Moonpool." Palepool sighed with relief.

"Reedfur could have done better, I must admit, but at least she can continue being a warrior," Palepool answered. Leopardpaw's eyes narrowed, and her tail flicked slightly.

_Patience,_ came the voice from before. Leopardpaw was obedient.

"The night is nearly gone, so I believe it would be best if Duckfeather could rest alone, and in silence," Leopardpaw told Palepool, and the others still standing near the she-cat. They all murmured to each other, but left.

In the silence, Leopardpaw asked aloud, "Who are you?"

_I am Rain, the controller of all water in the world which you live in,_ the voice answered.

"Did you choose me to use your element?" she questioned. She waited for a long time, but Rain did not answer her.

With a sigh, Leopardpaw returned to her nest and closed her eyes. For the rest of the night, she cried.

* * *

Nyka was hunting in the trees when she heard the screaming. She was hunting the most juicy looking sparrow, and as she stood on her platform of ice with her tail low and her eyes intent within the darkness, she began to contemplate the animal's worth.

_Is he just a mindless object we eat, or do they think as we do and speak with another language? Does he know what's about to happen, or is he accepting death? Does he have a family as those clan cats do? _

A screech from below forced the sparrow to fly off. Growling with annoyance, Nyka stood and unsheathed her claws into her own ice. Quickly, she jumped from the tree into another, landing on another bit of strong ice that had just formed for her.

She looked down. From what Nyka could see, two RiverClan cats were attempting to battle a very agile black tom. A rogue. She watched for a while, enjoying the torture of the one who'd scared off her prey.

Eventually, the elder RiverClan cat was killed. The other was gravely wounded, and she was having a problem fighting off the tom. He was about to give her a killing blow when Nyka jumped down from the tree and distracted the tom.

"H-Hailpaw. . ." Duckfeather gasped. She soon turned and ran far away from the black tom and the white she-cat.

"Hailpaw? You warriors have strange names," the black tom said, though he was not smirking or smiling.

"My name's not Hailpaw, it's just a name they gave me," Nyka growled as her fur bristled.

"So what _is_ your name?" the black tom asked, slightly amused.

"Nyka," she answered after a small bit of hesitation. _I'm going to kill him anyway._ "What's yours?"

"I am Panther, son of Lion," the tom answered. Nyka narrowed her eyes.

"Well, Panther, what is it you're doing on my territory?" Nyka questioned. He chuckled.

_"Your_ territory?" he said. "Hmm. I cannot answer either way. I was told to scope the territory, but no one could see me, so it seems I must get rid of you, despite my interest."

If speed hadn't been apart of Nyka's abilities, she wouldn't have seen the apprentice-sized tom lunge at her. She moved out of the way quick enough, and as Panther landed, she made the snow turn into ice, forcing him to fall as soon as his paws touched the ground.

"What is this?" Panther asked as he stood. "It was snow, but now it is ice. How?" Nyka laughed. It was a laugh of insanity, of liberation. She felt like she could do anything she wanted, and no one cared. As she thought this, as she _believed _this, her mind began to slip away.

"Wouldn't you love know?" she said. "But unfortunately for you, I'm clueless!" With a wild grin, she lunged toward the black tom, who managed to jump out of the way. Nyka pounced again and pinned him, but Panther was smiling. Why was he smiling?

The tom raked his back legs down her underbelly, forcing her to yowl in agony and release him. She bent down as he pushed himself away, protecting her exposed weaknesses. But then she smiled. She laughed. The snow around her lifted into clear, flawless, pointed ice which were directed right at Panther.

"Die, tom, die!" she hissed. The ice shot toward him, and one scratched his shoulder. He didn't even flinch. He only looked at her with wide eyes and sprinted toward the border. Nyka gave a loud caterwaul which turned into a cackle. He wasn't supposed to run, but her game was now fun.

She dashed forward, catching the tom by having a wall of ice appear in front of him. As he slid to a stop in the snow, Nyka counted running. Panther quickly turned on his heel and jumped toward her with unsheathed claws. They collided and each tried to hook their claws on a fleshy piece of skin or sink their claws into the others neck.

When they broke apart, Panther recovered first. He crashed into her again, but this time he pinned her and bit hard into a soft part of her neck. She yowled, screamed, and thrashed, but he would not let go. _He's going to kill me_, she realized.

An ice spike appeared once more, and he had enough sense to move. Panther sighed, but he didn't return to kill her. He just left. Nyka wanted to chase after him, but her body would not listen to her commands. So she just sat there until her brain shut down.

* * *

When Nyka woke the next morning, she sat up and felt her stiff body retaliate against her sudden movement. I_'ll heal,_ she thought. Just gotta leave it alone for awhile. So the white she-cat stood and looked at the frozen creek beside her. Blood was everywhere. Perhaps that little she-cat from a few days ago can come back to the forest and help me.

Her light blue eyes gazed upward, and she guessed it was late morning. The dawn patrol will probably be looking for me, she thought. The she-cat that was trying to fight Panther will have told on me by now. With a sigh, she climbed the nearest tree she could find. She could feel blood trailing through her fur and down her stomach, but she pressed on until she was high enough were no one could truly see her.

Nyka cleaned her wounds as she waited for the patrol to come around. They weren't too deep; just a simple gash on her belly and two puncture marks in her neck. When Nyka was done with the cleaning, she knew no one would notice them unless they were a medicine cat.

The patrol came after she had decided to take a nap. They weren't paticularly quiet, so she was easily awoken. She watched them with narrowed eyes, noticing quickly they had the medicine cat's body with them.

"Hailpaw, show yourself!" the strongest warrior called out.

_Back to business,_ she thought.

Nyka stood and used the snow on the branches to create an bridge of ice from one tree to the next. As she ran across to that tree, she said softly, "And why should I do that?"

"You are still under my order, as you were born in the nursery of the Clan which I command," the warrior responded. Nyka continued to make ice bridges to each tree. There were too many twigs and dead leaves for them to really see her, but they were following the sounds.

"Streamstar?" Nyka asked. "I didn't know leaders went on normal border patrols."

"They do when a medicine cat was killed in their own territory by one of their own," Streamstar responded.

"One of their own?" Nyka questioned. "I wasn't born here. I was born beyond this borders. I do not truly belong here. That's why I left that mouse-brained camp of yours, remember?"

"I cannot allow cats to be killed, Hailpaw, justice must be brought upon the one responsible," Streamstar told her. She chuckled as she saw the warriors behind him look around with worry.

"You think I am guilty?" Nyka said. "How wrong you are. Do you not scent the rogue which entered this territory on his fur? Do you not see the kill wound in his neck? I am humble, I do not kill cats."

"You k-killed Dapplepaw!" one of the warriors called out.

"That was an accident," Nyka growled. Softer, she went on, "He made me angry, and I retaliated with strength I did not know I had. It wasn't deliberate. This kill, however, was purposeful. The rogue was intent on killing any who got into his path."

"You met him?" Streamstar inquired.

"I fought him," she growled. "I defeated him, but he ran like a coward. Of course, he was a formidable opposition. He nearly killed me as well."

"Her alibi matches the tracks and scent we found near the northern border, and the blood we saw fox-lengths away from Reedfur's body."

Streamstar sighed and said, "Come down and let me see your wounds so we can verify you weren't the killer." Nyka laughed before she stomped her paw to the ground. The snow below Streamstar solidified and lifted him to Nyka's height.

"Can you see me?" she asked with a small cackle. She jumped upward, allowing him to glimpse her gash. Then she laid down on the branch, and the ice holding Streamstar up let him down.

"Streamstar!" a warrior yowled. They were around him at once.

"I am fine," he said irritably. "She is wounded, however, and so she cannot be the killer, for the wounds on Duckfeather and Reedfur are the same as the ones on Hailpaw. Let us leave and mourn for Reedfur." The warriors murmured back and forth, but eventually they did leave. When they were out of sight, she climbed down the tree and began back toward her territory.

"Hey, wait!"

Nyka's eyes narrowed, and her claws unsheathed as she turned around to face the intruder. Then she found who it was: the little she-cat who'd wanted marigold only a day before. "What do you want?" Nyka growled.

"Y-your wounds, they need to be healed," the little she-cat said.

"They'll be just fine," Nyka hissed.

"You don't have nine lives," countered the she-cat. "You don't even need to go back to camp. I can do it right here."

"What if I don't want them healed?" Nyka spat. "I'll do fine on my own."

"Really? Then what do you use if you get an infection?"

Nyka growled, "It doesn't matter!"

"Please?" the she-cat asked. Nyka hesitated. This she-cat was not going to give up, that much was obvious by the fact she wasn't gone already. "No. Now go away!" Ice spikes appeared and shot toward the she-cat. She did not even flinch, and just like before, they exploded into water.

The she-cat waited for an answer.

"Fine," Nyka sighed. Maybe she can tell me how she makes my ice turn to water. The she-cat brightened up, immediately taking her herbs and applying them however they needed to be applied. "But you're answering questions." The she-cat nodded, smiling as she worked.

"What's your name?" Nyka asked.

"Leopardpaw, though I suspect I'll be getting my full medicine cat name a few sunrises from now considering my mentor is dead," the she-cat answered. "What's your name?"

"I'll be asking the questions!" Nyka spat. Leopardpaw lowered her head. After a small sigh, Nyka questioned, "How do you make my ice explode before it touches you?"

"Rain," she replied. "The Elemental cat of water. She's inside my head, you know, telling me to do certain things to help me. Usually she does it for me, though." _Great,_ thought Nyka, _now she's a mouse-brained medicine cat. Does she even understand what she's saying?_

"What can you do?" Nyka inquired. Leopardpaw gave a small chuckle.

"I don't think I know the whole of it, but I have a pretty good idea it's anything with water," the small she-cat answered. "When I get angry, it always seemed to rain, and the streams near me went faster. The opposite if I were happy. Then there's the fact your ice turns into water, and yesterday I healed Duckfeather and kept her from death."

"Aren't the others scared of you?" Nyka asked. Why did I ask that? It isn't as if I care.

Leopardpaw's bright expression faded slightly as she said, "I don't believe they've noticed. Why would they? I'm Reedfur's incompetent apprentice, despite my being ready to be a full medicine cat even before he died. Ever since you came, though, they -" Nyka sucked in a breath as her eyes narrowed.

Leopardpaw, on the contrary, relaxed, saying, "I'm sorry, I forget who I'm speaking to sometimes." Nyka's eyes switched from hostile to a glint of confusion. _What was that? On a normal day I would have them running scared with my ice spikes. Why all of a sudden am I calm about this subject? _

"Do you. . ." Nyka began. Then she shook her head. "Nevermind."

"I don't remember who he was, only that he was a paticularly caring tom, one who did not wish to lose anymore than he already had," Leopardpaw said, and Nyka hissed. _Is she somehow reading my mind? _

"What's this?" Leopardpaw said then, looking at a light blue marking on her shoulder which looked similar to a pointy sun.

"Nothing you should concern yourself with," Nyka spat.

"It's the marking of Ice," claimed Leopardpaw. "It's the element you control, isn't it? Of course. The Elementals have chosen us. See," she moved her body so Nyka could see a black circle marking with the black symbol of a water droplet within. "we are the mortals they wish to work through. They gave us our powers." Leopardpaw looked as if the Gathering had come early.

"You're mouse-brained," Nyka growled. Leopardpaw shrugged.

"Well, I'm done," she said. "Oh! And Hailpaw? Would you. . .would you mind me coming back to check on your wounds tomorrow. . .?" Nyka glared at her. Leopardpaw did not even flinch, she just looked hopefully at the white she-cat.

"Fine!" she spat. Leopardpaw jumped up with excitement.

"Thank you!" she mewed. "I'll go now so I don't overstay my welcome! Bye!"

Leopardpaw dashed away, and Nyka yelled after her, "But only until my wounds are healed, and then you aren't allowed here at all! And don't call me Hailpaw! My name is Nyka!"

"Okay!" Leopardpaw called over her shoulder. Then she was gone, and Nyka realized something.

_She's the first Clan cat I've ever told. _

_She knows my name. _

* * *

Leopardpaw did not mind walking alone underneath the moon. As she strolled through WindClan territory, she watched the glittering lake as if it were alive and breathing, drowning whatever managed to get caught in its slippery web.

_In many ways, water is life, for without it, life would not exist,_ Rain informed her. Leopardpaw kept walking without a beat.

_Is that why it can save cats?_ Leopardpaw asked.

_You are very clever for your age,_ Leopardpaw, Rain announced.

_I must be,_ Leopardpaw responded. _Where would the clan be if I were to disappear? _

_They do not approve of you,_ Rain reminded her.

_They will eventually,_ Leopardpaw said. _That's why you chose me, right? With your powers, I'm destined for something, just like Nyka._

_You have figured everything out quite easily,_ Rain chuckled.

_Does this mean there are others?_ Leopardpaw questioned. _Other elemental mortals? _

_Yes,_ Rain answered. _Though please keep this information to yourself. I am not allowed to be speaking to you. There are four others whos mentors are Flame, Air, Mountain, and. . .Lightning_. The last word came out quieter, yet harder.

_Did Lightning do something wrong?_ Leopardpaw asked.

_You will learn about our histories as soon as I get permission from Air, sweet one,_ Rain promised. _For now, stay excited about your ceremony. Soon, you will be all RiverClan has, and they shall see your greatness. _

Leopardpaw continued the rest of her journey with a proud step. When she finally made it near the Moonpool, she found Fernfur, ThunderClan's medicine cat, and Thornnose already waiting. She took a deep breath and walked up to them.

"Leopardpaw! It's good to see you again!" Fernfur exclaimed. "Did you bring any marigold?"

Leopardpaw shook her head, "I'm sorry, there's been quite the event going on in RiverClan. I daresay I forgot."

"The tom is healed for the most part anyway," Fernfur said with a bright smile. "He will take a while to heal completely, but you know how those wounds go. Where's Reedfur?" Leopardpaw frowned and looked at her paws.

"He was murdered not three sunrises ago. . ." she said softly.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Fernfur gasped.

"How did this happen?" Thornnose demanded with narrowed eyes.

"A rogue came into our territory when he was looking for marigold, and he was killed," Leopardpaw answered. "One of our. . .apprentices managed to scare him off, but Reedfur still died."

"Are you alright?" Fernfur asked. "Have you been handling things well?" Leopardpaw looked up with a bleak smile.

"Of course! RiverClan needs their medicine cat, after all," Leopardpaw said. It was at that moment that the ShadowClan medicine cat, Blackeyes, padded forward.

"Are we ready then?" Fernfur questioned. The others nodded, and the she-cat before them lead the way toward the Moonpool. As Leopardpaw walked forward, she caught Thornnose and Blackeyes speaking about her mentor's death. _As long as I don't have to,_ she thought.

Once at the Moonpool, the medicine cats gathered around it and sat down in their designated spots. They all, however, waited for an unsaid message to be said. Finally, the eldest, Blackeyes, stood.

"As your mentor is no longer with us, I will give you your medicine cat name," Blackeyes announced. "I, Blackeyes, medicine cat of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior and medicine cat ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve her Clan for many moons." Leopardpaw sighed and thought, StarClan, I hope so.

Black eyes continued, "Leopardpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?" Leopardpaw nodded.

"I do."

Blackeyes gave a small smile and said, "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat in hopes Reedfur is helping me from above. Leopardpaw, from this moment you will be known as Leopardleap. StarClan honors your kindness and patience, and may your clan welcome you as a full medicine cat of RiverClan." Unlike warrior ceremonies, the medicine cats stayed silence, each close their eyes and giving a soft murmur of a prayer to StarClan.

"Let StarClan give you happy news," Thornnose said. And they each bent down to touch the water.

As soon as Leopardleap did, her vision changed. She looked as if she were standing on the lake, in the middle, without any rock or bird to hold her up. Before her stood a beautiful gray she-cat with dark blue eyes. Quite similar to Leopardleap, in fact.

"We meet again," Rain told her. "You know what I am to speak of. You are the mortal I have chosen, and so you must carry this responsibility. I will give you my powers in hopes you will use them against the darkness to come. I cannot stay long, but please, watch for the one with the power of Lightning. His powers are uncontrollable, and so his mortal shall be as well."

"What's going to happen?" Leopardleap asked. There was no response. Instead, her vision changed.

The lake had completely frozen over, and there was snow everywhere. In the sky, something was floating. It took Leopardleap a few moments to realize it wasn't floating, but instead a large ice statue with a white she-cat on top of it.

"I am Snow, controller of Ice," the she-cat responded. "Each of us has chosen to allow one mortal - your kind - to use our powers against the evil which has already begun to spread. The mortal I have chosen is within your clan, her name being Nyka. She may be an infamous outcast, but her power is strong, and if she is harmed, I will give her more of my power for defense. Also, I am trusting you to keep her away from Lightning's mortal. The element is too dangerous and too unpredictable. Keep Nyka away from him." Leopardleap opened her mouth to ask the same question she'd asked Rain before the ceremony, but the next thing she knew, her eyes were open as the other medicine cats were still asleep.

* * *

Blackeyes did not expect to be surrounded by fire when he opened his eyes into the realm of his ancestors. The brightness of the flames forced the black and white tom to take a few steps back, blinking away the burning in his eyes.

"Are you the ShadowClan medicine cat?" a booming voice demanded.

"Y-yes. . ." Blackeyes coughed.

"Then take caution," the voice responded. Blackeyes, through his squinting eyes, suddenly saw where the voice was coming from: a large, fiery ginger tom who seemed to be disappearing and reappearing within the fire. "Your Clan is home to my tom, my Flamepaw. He is my mortal. He is the tom which can use my power, the mortal which will save your world from destruction. Did you hear that? He will save you. So keep him safe. Keep him away from Lightning." Blackeyes tried to open his mouth, but the only thing he could do was cough.

And when he woke, Leopardleap was awake and wide eyed.

* * *

Echostrike's eyes opened, and immediately she knew she was not in a dream. Instead, she was in the sky. Clouds floated beneath her, soft as a cool mist. Her bright eyes traveled downward, and she saw the lake and the other clans.

"Echostrike," came a soft, nearly inaudible voice. Instantly, her gaze snapped upward and around her. She saw nothing but the half moon beneath her, as if this was real, as if she were truly in the sky.

"Echostrike," came the voice again, though this time it was deeper, and darker.

"Who are you?" she demanded. Her senses picked up on the scent of grass newly wetted by rainfall. It was sharp, almost painful, but it did not belong in the sky. And within her, she felt as if something was smothering her, just waiting to drag her under to drown her. "What am I doing here?"

"Be patient, young Echostrike. . ." the voice whispered. "I am Air, and Elemental of StarClan. You do not have to believe in me, nor do you have to recognize me, but know your apprentice, the apprentice beneath you at this very moment, holds power and wisdom beyond her age. . .She will have to make choices no kit should make, but she must for the survival of the clans. . . She controls the air, the breeze, the weather. . .Keep her safe. . .Keep her away from the clans. . .keep her away from ThunderClan for now. . .Keep her away. . ."

"Wait!" Echostrike hissed. First she was drug here, and now she was going to leave without any of her questions being answered?

"Be patient. . ." Air said. "Be patient. . ."

Echostrike woke with a start, and before she said, hoped, regretted, thought anything, she looked to Hawkkit, who slept soundly next to her. Is she truly as he says. . .? Is he truly alive? Echostrike breathed in, and smelled the same scent.

_So it is true. _

* * *

Fernfur found herself in a high place full of rocks, trees, and life. Squirells, voles, mise, birds, foxes, bears, hawks. . .she could not name them all. It was dark, but it was truly spectacular, and she watched for several moments in awe.

"You are the ThunderClan medicine cat, no?"

Fernfur looked to the side and found a massive brown tom with sharp green eyes which were narrowed tightly. She nodded, saying, "Of course I am. And you. . .You're Mountain, aren't you? The earth Elemental. You share the same symbol as Mudroot does."

"Yes," Mountain answered. "I have chosen him. He controls earth, and he shall save the Clans. But you must keep him away from Lightning's mortal. Keep him away. Do not let the two become friends, or my mortal will die."

"Who is the mortal Lightning has chosen?" Fernfur asked.

"I do not know, but he will come to see you, he will tell you," Mountain stated. "I cannot stay long. But do as I say. I am trusting you. I do not easily trust mortals. Keep. Mudroot. Away."

Fernfur did not ask another question.

The next thing she knew, she was surrounded by dark mist. Around her, blue flashes of bright light forced her to yowl out in surprise. It was then that she realized she was standing in storm clouds, and around her swirled the storm.

"What did he tell you?"

Fernfur gasped and turned toward the voice. Before her stood a dark, lean tom who was almost as tall as Mountain. His eyes were a cool blue, like the lightning flashing around them. Thunder soon followed, along with a dangerous gust of wind which almost blew her away. As she fought against the air, she saw large wounds upon the tom, recent wounds which wouldn't have gone unnoticed by any medicine cat Fernfur knew.

"What did he tell you!" the tom yowled. It was a harsh demand, but under it, Fernfur's motherly instinct could detect the desperation.

"Who?" Fernfur asked.

"Mountain!" Lightning hissed.

"He told me of his mortal, of what -"

"No!" Lightning snapped. "What did he tell you about my mortal, about my apprentice? What did he say?"

"He told me to keep Mudroot away, that you were dangerous," Fernfur answered loudly as thunder clashed below them. Lightning's teeth bared, but Fernfur noticed that they were clenched and tears were coming to the tom's eyes.

"No. . ." he whispered. "They're doing it again! They're going to make him an outcast! Hated!"

"Who is he?" Fernfur pleaded.

"I won't tell you!" Lightning hissed. "Then you can't keep your promise! Then he won't be sent away! He won't know rejection any longer!"

"Tell me!" Fernfur cried desperately, fighting against the wind. "Tell me, and I'll help him!" Lightning looked at her skeptically.

"No," he growled. "Because if I tell you. . ." he looked to his paws. "If I tell you, they will hurt him. They will kill him, as if he deserved it! As if he deserved any of what they are saying about him!" He was crying out desperately now, an expression not often seen on grown toms.

Immediately, she saw the resemblance, the almost identical voice, scowl, and lean body. She saw the similarities of the fur, the identical scars both old and new. She saw the hopelessness, she saw the sharp eyes of emotion and intelligence.

"Darkkit," she realized with astonishment. "Your mortal. . .he's Darkkit." Lightning looked at her with the eyes of a predator, and in one small lunge toward her, she was sent back to reality.

Fernfur opened her eyes and instantly got to her paws. Her eyes were wide and her muscles were tense with panic. She was breathing too fast, and her heart was beating as fast as a bird could chirp.

She looked up to the others and found their expressions similar to hers. Did their clans hold Elemental mortals too? They weren't as scared as she was, however, and instead looking suspicious. Was every Elemental warning the medicine cats of Lightning's mortal? What had that poor tom done?

_Give me answers, StarClan! _

For once, the stars did not twinkle in response.

* * *

**A/N :: I know it's been a while, but trust me, I haven't claimed the Warrior Series yet. **

_Okay, this took longer than expected. I've got no idea why, though I think it has something to do with finals and writers block. What a terrible combination! But school will end in about two weeks, so trust me, a week and a half is probably the most you'll have to wait in the summer (unless I'm on vacation. . .)_

_The reason it is long compared to my other chapters is that I kinda combined two into one. The first half was just too short (about 1,700 words) and I decided to just continue. OMG! I cannot TELL you how much I enjoyed writing the last bit with the Elementals. It's just so fun! =) And you get to see how mortals feel about the Elementals, which is cool. I hope you like it! _

_Also! A new thing I'm going to do. Most of my characterization and development comes from listening to music, so if I find a song that fits a character PERFECTLY, I'll put it here, at the end of each chapter. ;) Hope you enjoy! _

**Nyka** :: 'Make A Move' by Icon For Hire

**Hawkkit :: **'It Took Me By Surprise' by Maria Mena

(Don't judge me by the music I listen to! =))

-+- _The Assassins Anthem, may darkness be with you._


	7. Chapter 6 :: Challenged

Darkkit woke as soon as Fernfur returned from her journey to the Moonpool. As she went to her nest, Darkkit noticed a troubled look on her face. Soon, however, she was asleep, tired from the night's adventure.

_I wonder if she will be awake for the ceremony?_ Darkkit thought. It was true: today was the day he was going to become an apprentice, for his wounds had healed more or less and it had been a moon since his arrival.

Darkkit was nervous. Not because of the ceremony, but because he'd be forced to communicate with cats he could not relate to and participate in traditions concerning heavenly beings he did not believe in. And also because he did not enjoy an entire group of cats turning their attention to him and him only.

Dawn did not take long to come. Darkkit stood and stretched, yawning as he did every morning. He wouldn't go out of the medicine cat den without Fernfur, so he cleaned himself off with his tongue, lightly brushing over the scarred wounds.

"You alright there, Darkkit?" Fernfur asked. His gaze traveled upward, and he nodded, noticing that while she was trying to hide it, the expression from before was still there.

"Did everything go alright at the Moonpool?" Darkkit questioned. She sighed.

"No, but I'll survive," Fernfur told him with a bleak smile. "Ready for your big day?" Darkkkit shrugged.

"Not really," he responded behind his squirm of nervousness. Fernfur laughed.

"Well, let's go get some freshkill first," Fernfur said. He nodded and followed her out. His legs, as usual, were stiff. They did not pain him, so he did not care, but it was annoying to feel as if his legs could not bend properly.

As soon as he was out of the medicine cat den, his muscles tensed and his eyes did not wonder from their spot on the ground. He could almost feel the clan looking at him, staring at him as they usually did.

It wasn't as if they knew what they were doing. They'd never seen someone like him before, and even after a moon, they did not understand how he thought or why he looked how he looked. The kits especially were curious, but at least they came up and asked questions rather than whispering their bests guesses in the corner as most of the warriors and some of the elders did.

Darkkit ate in silence, savoring every bite. He had chosen a small mouse, for his stomach was still unable to handle anything more. He ate it knowing there were others who couldn't even get this much, and he hoped they could find freedom as he did.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the highledge!" Duskstar announced. Darkkit stiffened as a feeling of suffocation washed over him. Immediately he stood, quickly going every possible outcome of this ceremony.

He made it to the highledge. He looked up, as Fernfur had instructed him to, despite his instinct to look away. His claws unsheathed into the ground, keeping him from running away. Everyone was looking at him. One wrong move. . .

"Darkkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Darkpaw. Your mentor will be. . ." Duskstar half paused, half choked on his words. His eyes darkened, and the warriors behind him whispered. _Great,_ Darkkit thought. _Now this day will be known as the day Darkkit's ceremony was screwed up. _

Blinking away whatever thoughts were clouding his mind, Duskstar continued, ". . .Your mentor will be Firestrike. I hope my deputy will pass down all he knows on to you. Firestrike," he said. The warrior had already walked forward, "you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training, you have greatly mentored Mudroot and Birchleg, and you have shown yourself to be strong and patient. You will be the mentor of Darkpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him." Darkpaw stood and touched noses with Firestrike just as had Fernfur told him. It was a strange feeling, one that made Darkpaw want to back up immediately.

"Darkpaw! Darkpaw! Darkpaw!" the clan cheered. Darkpaw's head was low, trying to ignore them.

"Come with me," Firestrike instructed. Darkpaw did as ordered. The clan dispersed, though no one congratulated him like Fernfur had warned. Darkpaw's head came up a bit after he learned no one would be coming up to him.

"Congratulations, Darkpaw!"

Alas, he spoke too soon.

"Thanks. . ." he murmured as the bright apprentice stood next to him. She was younger than him, though not much smaller. She was a light ginger she-cat who looked up at him with light green eyes which looked similar to new-leaf grass.

"Rosepaw, be careful," snapped a tall black tom. Darkpaw first thought he was seeing Shadow, but this tom's eyes were a blue which calmed him. Darkpaw relaxed muscles he didn't know he was tensing. The tom's gaze turned to him, and immediately, Darkpaw felt his body ease. "You have to remember that Darkpaw is still recovering."

"Sorry," she mumbled, though Darkpaw saw her smile at him if only for a brief moment.

"Sorry to whom?" the tom quesitoned. "I couldn't quite hear you."

"I'm sorry, Nightheart," Rosepaw whined. "Can we go train now?"

"Darkpaw, what - Oh, I see." Firestrike had come running over, but once he saw Rosepaw, he simply sighed. "Is it that you wish to train with him, Rosepaw?" She nodded excitedly.

"Very well," Firestrike sighed. "I assume your brother will want to train with Darkpaw as well?"

"Nah, Foxpaw hates Darkpaw," Rosepaw said with a shrug. Darkpaw stiffened, and Firestrike's eyes narrowed with fury burning through them.

"Rosepaw!" Firestrike scolded.

"What?" Rosepaw asked, sincerely confused. "What did I say?"

"You cannot just go around saying -"

"It's fine," Darkpaw interrupted with a low murmur. "Really. I don't care." Firestrike stared at him as if considering whether or not he was actually alright with the situation.

"Nevertheless, Foxpaw cannot choose who he trains with, that is up to his mentor," Firestrike growled. He was angry. Darkpaw took an unconscious step backward. The deputy quickly turned and looked around.

"Owlclaw!"

A brown tabby raised his head, but soon padded over and asked, "Yes, Firestrike?" The tom gave a glance in Darkpaw's direction, and immediately, he frowned. _Not everyone has accepted my arrival, then?_ Darkpaw thought._ Jokes on them. I've been unwanted before._ In a single moment, with a single thought, he felt stronger.

"Summon Foxpaw," the deputy ordered. "Nightheart and I wish to train our apprentices, and I believe it would be best if you and Foxpaw came with us." Owlclaw's muscles were tense, forcing Darkpaw to tense as well. _He doesn't want to. He's going against his superior. _

"Foxpaw wished to train away from his sister," Owlclaw said, though the message underneath was clear.

"Bring him," Firestrike growled. His tail was lashing. The two toms stared at each other, each standing tall with narrowed eyes. In the end, Owlclaw stalked away. _And that is why Firestrike is the deputy,_ Darkpaw thought.

"I am sorry for the complication," Firestrike sighed after Owlclaw had disappeared into the apprentices' den.

"Mentors are usually keen to show off their apprentices," Nightheart explained. Darkpaw shrugged.

"I don't mind," he said. His voice was quiet and soft.

"Just ignore my brother," Rosepaw said with a roll of her eyes and a smirk. "I do." Darkpaw smiled a genuine smile. It was odd at first, to find something amusing actually amusing. Then it felt good; normal almost.

"Is he always like this?" Darkpaw asked.

"Nah, but he's not always happy either," Rosepaw explained. "He'll be a grumpy old elder when he gets to be Squirrelleg's age, especially when he can't hunt for mice anymore. Do you hunt for mice?"

"I usually hunted rabbits or birds," Darkpaw answered carefully. "There weren't a lot of mice where I grew up."

"Wow, I wish I could hunt a rabbit!" Rosepaw exclaimed. "Nightheart says I'm not ready yet, even if I did see one! Those are usually in WindClan, though. You know, the other Clan. There are four, WindClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and us! And we're the best! And there's four leaders for all of them, Streamstar, Shadestar. . ." Rosepaw continued her explanation, and Darkpaw watched with a bleak smile. _Is this how someone my age is supposed to act?_ He wondered how he would have turned out had he been born in the clans.

Eventually, Owlclaw returned with a ginger tom who stood tall with a dark scowl. Darkpaw shifted uneasily. When they were close enough, Owlclaw asked, "Are we going then?" Firestrike growled lowly in warning, but then turned toward the entrance of camp. Rosepaw and Nightheart went forward as well, but not Owlclaw and Foxpaw.

Darkpaw padded to catch up with Rosepaw and Firestrike, looking back to the other two every once an awhile to make sure they weren't ready to kill him. This went on until they walked several fox-lengths from camp.

Then, Darkpaw had worse things to worry about. Were there enemies out to get him? _Of course not. Only ThunderClan cats could enter this territory, and no one will intercept me and my goal, especially since I don't have one._ Was there time to do what he wanted?_ I don't have a job._ Would he be punished when he got back?_ I don't live there anymore._

His inner turmoil continued until they entered a clearing. The paw prints in the snow and the scrape marks on the trees told Darkpaw this was where training happened. Immediately, a feeling of being ill came to Darkpaw's stomach.

"What are we gonna do now?" Rosepaw asked, breaking the silence. _Does she know how Owlclaw is looking at Firestrike or her brother is looking at me?_ Darkpaw wondered.

"Remember that fighting move I taught you the other day?" Nightheart asked. "How about we try that one out?" Rosepaw's eyes lit up.

"This is gonna be so cool!" Rosepaw exclaimed. "Come on, Foxpaw! Let's show him first!" Her brother huffed, but didn't say a word. The two gathered at the center of the clearing and prepared for the fight.

They lunged forward, and as Foxpaw pushed her back, Rosepaw reared upward and came down upon him. Darkpaw watched closely. Obviously, there were no claws and no teeth. The move seemed slow, however. Very slow.

"Think you can do it?" Rosepaw asked. "Just go get where Foxpaw is and try it!" Darkpaw cautiously replaced Foxpaw, making sure not to brush up against the angry apprentice or go within one mouse-length of him.

When he was in position, he mimicked Foxpaw's starting stance. It was strange and unbalanced. He couldn't jump or pounce easily at all with this stance. Rosepaw started forward before he could think much of it, however. He kept her at bay, but did not see the chance to do what Rosepaw did, so he kept his ground and did nothing else.

"Stop!" Firestrike ordered. They did. "What happened? Why didn't you do it?" Darkpaw's head lowered.

"I-I couldn't see an opening to do it," Darkpaw responded.

"That is one aspect of the move you must learn," Firestrike said. "Would you like to try again?" Darkpaw nodded quickly, determined to show everyone he could do it.

Rosepaw and Darkpaw set up again. They began the mock fight. This time, Darkpaw was looking, and he found it in just a few moments. However, when he reared up and came down, he couldn't pin her. Firestrike stipped them again.

"You had her! Why didn't you finish the attack?" Firestrike asked. Darkpaw was very low to the ground as he felt his mentors frustration. Who wouldn't be annoyed when your seven moon old apprentice couldn't compete with the six moon ones? "Well?"

"I was - It was too slow," Darkpaw said softly. "The move was too slow."

"What do you mean 'too slow'?" Firestrike asked.

"What your mentor is trying to say," Nightheart said before Darkpaw could respond. "What are you used to doing, if that's too slow? Most practice moves are slower than that." Darkpaw sighed. D_uskstar didn't even tell his deputy about me,_ he realized.

"I -" Darkpaw began. He didn't know how to put into words. How could he tell them he was used to battling actual cats without making the whole thing seem awkward? Then he figured it out. "Can I just show you?" The mentors looked at each other, as if contemplating it.

"I can do it with him," Foxpaw said. His voice was mature-like, quite opposite from his sister. It made Darkpaw grimace slightly.

"Are you alright with that, Darkpaw?" Nightheart asked. Darkpaw nodded as he looked Foxpaw in the eyes. It was a challenge, not a volunteer.

Both them took up their positions. This time, Darkpaw spread his body out, but stayed low to the ground. Foxpaw was bunched up. They stared for a little while, each daring the other to move first. Out of frustration, Foxpaw lunged sharply toward him. Darkpaw swerved out of the way, avoiding the attack. Foxpaw lunged again, and Darkpaw did as well. Both attempted to knock the other one down first. Darkpaw retreated from the attack.

Foxpaw crouched down as Darkpaw faced him, and at that moment, Darkpaw thought, _Got you._ Foxpaw dashed toward him, but before he was even a tail-length away, Darkapw slid forward and knocked Foxpaw off of his paws in one swift movement. Darkpaw then pushed him, and in just a few heartbeats, Foxpaw was pinned.

Foxpaws eyes were wide. Out of shock or fear, Darkpaw did not know which. The dark tom was too busy trying not to go further. _Don't unsheathe your claws, don't bite his neck. Don't unsheathe your claws, don't bite his neck._ Opposing his instincts, Darkpaw stepped off of Foxpaw.

"That was one of the fastest practice fights I've ever seen," Nightheart said first after many moments of silence.

"Those look like the moves Petalpaw and Leafpaw are learning!" Rosepaw exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Are you truly seven moons old?" Firestrike questioned. Darkpaw nodded. "I believe I should train you with the elder apprentices from now on." Foxpaw suddenly stood, and Darkpaw immediately turned to face him.

"You could have killed me!" he hissed. His eyes were narrowed tightly.

"Those moves weren't lethal," Nightheart pointed out.

"If he were allowed to use his teeth or claws, they would have been," Owlclaw growled, glaring at Darkpaw.

"That's how he must have learned," Nightheart said. The forest came quiet, and Darkpaw's head was low.

"I will use today to see where you are in your training," Firestrike said then. "Let's move on to hunting." Darkpaw nodded. "Is there any particular way you were trained?" Darkpaw made no indication he heard. "Answer me."

"I wasn't," Darkpaw said quietly. "I just hunted." Firestrike sighed.

"Did you hunt alone?" he asked. Darkpaw nodded. "Then I'll give you an assessment. I will give you the rest of the morning and the afternoon to hunt on your own. I will be watching you, but at some points I won't. You won't even know I'm there." Darkpaw sighed with relief. Alone. That's what he was used to.

"How much prey must I brink back?" Darkpaw asked.

"As much as you can catch," Firestrike answered. "Go ahead. Just don't pass the borders. Do you know what they smell like?" Darkpaw nodded. He then stood and padded away, eager to get away from Foxpaw and Owlclaw.

* * *

The afternoon was almost over. Darkpaw had caught three mice and a vole. Mice were easy to catch, he figured out. Easier than rabbits or birds, anyway. Voles were slow, but clever. Darkpaw found it tricky to catch them.

With his nose, Darkpaw had been tracking a rabbit near the WindClan border. It wasn't a smart rabbit, but it was evading him. Darkpaw just couldn't get a good angle.

Every few moments, as he waited for the rabbit to move on to a better place, he glanced over to the territory he was used to. The rocky terrain was silent, and he could not see any toms his age waiting for their first meal in two days.

The place wasn't foreign to him, even now. It was still home. It was still familiar. He wanted to hunt there so bad. . .

A movement behind him caught his attention. Darkpaw turned with a start. He sniffed in. It wasn't Firestrike, but it was familiar. Darkpaw lowered himself to the ground as he strained his senses to find the trespasser.

Finally, Darkpaw found him. He lunged and the two went rolling. Teeth scrapped off fur, and claws nicked his cheek. He bent down, grabbed the neck, and bit hard. The cat yowled out in agony and broke apart. Darkpaw stood and allowed the cat to gather himself. After all, what if this was a clan cat?

"Dark?" the tom suddenly said. Darkpaw narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, he recognized the black tom.

"Wind."

"What are you doing here? We thought you were dead!" Wind exclaimed.

"ThunderClan took me in," Darkpaw hissed. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I was sent to scope the territory," Wind murmured. "Shadow's orders. They've got something planned, huge. I think it's almost time for -"

"Impossible," Darkpaw hissed. "That was only a suggestion."

"Shadow's turned it into something bigger," Wind explained. "They keep talking about invading. It's insane!"

"How are you hearing this?" Darkpaw demanded. "Information isn't just given to loners like you." Wind narrowed his eyes.

"If you don't remember, you were one to," he growled.

"Well I'm not anymore," Darkpaw spat. "Now get away before I make you."

"I'm on Shadows orders, if I don't do as he said -"

"I know," Darkpaw interrupted him quickly. He began to think as fast as he could before Firestrike showed up and started asking questions. _I've done this before, I know what he wants. . ._ "Just. . .Just tell him the territory is inwardly curved downward to the center and that is where the camp is set up. Trees are of minor concern, and the snow covers most of the troublesome undergrowth."

"Is that true?" Wind inquired.

"No, but it's close enough that ThunderClan will be able to strike a counter-attack," Darkpaw told the tom. "Stall him if you can. Now leave!" Wind stood up immediately and began to turn around.

"For how long?" he asked.

"After the full moon!" Darkpaw yelled. "Now get out of here!" Wind was soon just a speck in his vision. Darkpaw sighed with relief. Dusk has almost arrived._ I must hunt some more. _

* * *

Darkpaw returned to camp with four mice, a voles, and one rabbit. Rosepaw, Nightheart, and Firestrike all helped him bring it to the clan, who roused with interest when they saw the heavy hunting load.

"How did you hunt that fast?" someone had asked. Darkpaw didn't answer. Apparently, with this trip and the dawn hunting party, the hunting patrol that was just about to go out didn't need to. Those cats thanked him as well.

The clan soon began to eat their evening meal, and as soon as everyone was distracted, Darkpaw managed to steal away to the medicine cat den where Fernfur was de-tangling stringy herbs which had mingled with some dangerous looking berries.

"Mouse-brained kits running around my herb store when they should be in the -" Fernfur suddenly looked up. "Oh, hello, Darkpaw! Is everything alright?" Darkpaw nodded. Fernfur stood and tilted her head. "Well then what's wrong? You know you can't sleep here anymore, you belong in the apprentices' den, no matter how much the other apprentices dislike you, though I heard -" Her eyes widened. "Darkpaw, what happened?!"

Fernfur was at his side in an instant looking over the scratch on his cheek and the gash on his flank which was still bleeding.

"I was hunting and I came across a rogue," Darkpaw explained. "He was hard to fight, but I drove him out."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" she asked, looking at them closer. He kept quiet. "Firestrike wasn't watching you?"

"He was assessing my ability to hunt," Darkpaw answered. "Apparently he wasn't there when I fought."

"So why didn't you tell him after the fight?" Fernfur questioned.

"He doesn't like me," Darkpaw answered. Fernfur sighed. She turned around and walked toward the herbs.

"Firestrike sees you as another apprentice, he does not hate you," Fernfur told him.

"He's always angry at me," Darkpaw pointed out.

"He's not angry, just frustrated, because he really can't teach you anything you don't already know," Fernfur responded.

"I still don't trust him," Darkpaw growled.

"Fine, but next time come back quicker, alright?" Fernfur asked as she applied the correct herbs. "You could have gotten an infection." Darkpaw simply nodded. _I've had worse wounds than infections,_ he wanted to remind her. He didn't.

* * *

Three days passed. For the most part, Darkpaw did not train with any of the apprentices. Firestrike either trained him on his own or made him go on hunting assignments by himself. After all, the deputy had discovered the elder apprentices' immediate disliking toward Darkpaw, and vice versa. So he was trained alone.

However, on the fourth day since his becoming an apprentice, Firestrike ordered he go on a patrol with the supervision of Owlclaw, Mudroot, and Brambletooth. Darkpaw was immediately trying to figure out what he did wrong the past few days which would make him deserve the patrol, but knew perfectly well it was just normal protocol for a deputy to switch apprentices in and out of patrols.

Darkpaw wasn't very certain of what he needed to do, so he waited until the others were gathered near the entrance and ready to leave before he padded toward them. Owlclaw glared and hissed at him before taking the lead. Brambletooth gave a dark look and followed along. Mudroot continued to stare at him, only following Brambletooth when he realized the brute was gone. Darkpaw followed from behind.

Simply walking was confusing for Darkpaw, as was marking the border. Didn't the cats of other clans have it memorized? Weren't there consequences no one wanted to be faced with? Darkpaw simply did as told.

"How are you?"

Darkpaw blinked away from his thoughts. Most cats didn't speak to him, not counting Rosepaw or Fernfur. Addertooth even ignored him after awhile.

"Fine," he answered as he became tense. Something like a whisper in the back of his mind told him not to trust Mudroot.

"Me too," he answered. "You were a trespasser. Now you are an apprentice. You should be proud. Addertooth said so." Darkpaw didn't respond. How could he? This tom couldn't understand basic logic if it hit him in the face, and it wasn't even the poor tom's fault.

"Like it here?" Mudroot asked. Darkpaw nodded. He said nothing. He was uncomfortable around this tom and he wasn't going to encourage the speaking if he could help it. "I hope you do. Addertooth likes you. Do you like her?"

"Shut up, mouse-brain!" Brambletooth hissed. "Didn't you hear? Or are you deaf? Owlclaw thought he scented something." Darkpaw stopped immediately and took a deep breath in. There were cats nearby, but their scent was unfamiliar. Suddenly, he understood.

"ShadowClan cats," he said.

"What was that, kit?" Owlclaw snapped. Darkpaw didn't answer in fear of what the warrior would do to him. They continued on.

Darkpaw felt tension, and he wanted to be alone immediately, for Owlclaw's anger was enough pressure for him in one place. As he saw the ShadowClan cats coming toward him, however, he kept himself in position. Collision could be bad, if it happened. Darkpaw wasn't certain what patrols were supposed to do when they saw cats of other clans.

Many heart-beats later, Owlclaw sighed and said, "ShadowClan ahead. Watch out." Darkpaw growled lowly, but was thankful no one heard him. Rebellious anger truly was troublesome.

"Alright there, Owlclaw?" asked one of the warriors.

"Of course, Thistlefur," said Owlclaw as if Thistlefur was from his own clan. "You?" Instantly, Darkpaw was confused. _Aren't other clans rivals? Aren't we competing for survival? _

"I haven't seen that apprentice before," claimed another warrior. "What's his name, Scarpaw?"

"Oh, he's just an apprentice who had an unfortunate accident and is now one moon behind the others," Owlclaw hissed. "Firestrike is having a difficult time training him." All of them were half truths, Darkpaw realized. Easier to lie with. "What about him? He seems a bit skiddish."

There was a ginger apprentice among their patrol, and he was indeed a weaker looking seven moon old apprentice. His eyes weren't really focused on much of anything, even when he looked at Owlclaw. They were distant. Then, those eyes moved to Darkpaw.

In one single moment, the world fell apart.

The earth began to shake wildly. All of the cats had to crouch down and dig their legs into the snow and unsheathe their claws into the sturdy ground to keep themselves from being thrown to the side. Jagged movements with bright lighting were not helpful, so Darkpaw closed his eyes and concerned himself only with staying on his paws.

Something hot collided with his body and sent it flying into a nearby tree. Darkpaw's reflexes immediately reacted, looking upward and around himself. The tree he hit gave an awful creaking sound, and Darkpaw soon caught sight of its roots. The pine was falling. Toward him.

_No! Don't kill him, don't -_

The gray apprentice allowed his striking yellow eyes to grow wide. Just before the tree was going to fall, however, the snow and earth beneath him fell, leaving a trench. The tree above him created a bridge and could not harm him.

Darkpaw's heart was beating fast. The quaking of the earth had stopped, and the forest was silent. Owlclaw was hissing something distasteful out. Mudroot was looking around aimlessly. L_ittle things, little things!_ Darkpaw thought. He tried to grasp ahold of himself, but his fear just kept growing, and he hadn't a clue why; the danger had passed.

Eventually, the dark apprentice climbed out from the gorge and ran his fastest back toward camp. He went as fast as his paws could take him, and after only two heart-beats, he could hear nothing but his own trembling breath.

The camp was not far away. He did not stop to explain anything, however, and pushed by anyone who tried to confront him. When he was in the medicine den, he lay down in his stale nest and rested his head, praying his breathing would stop.

Eventually, he fell asleep, but his fear did not leave. His lungs could not take in air, for Shadow was after him, and he had to run. His legs were numb because of how long he'd been eluding trees and evading the explosions of fire. His eyes were stinging because of how wide he'd forced them to become.

In just a moment, a tom appeared in his dream. He was taller than Darkpaw, and leaner, but his purple eyes were what made him stop and wonder if the dream were real. When he looked behind him, Shadow was gone, and he was no longer under the threat of explosions.

_Be calm, Dark. You may in an unfamiliar place with rude cats who don't understand you, but things will be better. Just be calm. Be patient._ The tom had not spoken, but the voice was obviously from him.

"Who - who are you?"

_I am Lightning, and I am only here to protect you._

"Where are we? Is this a dream?"

_I am in the sky, but also in your mind and body,_ Lightning answered. _I won't be here when you don't need me, but when you do, I'll always be there. _

Darkpaw looked away, ashamed he had shown so much to a stranger. His fear was still there, however, so he curled up and attempted to hide it. Lightning padded straight over to him and laid down.

_What is he doing? _

_I am making sure they don't hurt you again,_ Lightning answered. _They won't hurt you if they know I'm here. _

Darkpaw's heart sped up. Could this tom read his mind? It was too scary of a thought. After all, Darkpaw only survived because of his secrets.

_I know much about you, Dark,_ Lightning told him. _I know of your parents, your struggles, and how you ended up here._

_How?_ Darkpaw demanded with the strongest voice he could.

_I have trusted everything in you,_ Lightning answered. _My powers which I have granted you are the only power which protects me, and I have given it all to you. _

_Protects you from who?_ Darkpaw asked.

_The others like me, who have also entrusted some of their power in mortals,_ Lightning replied. _That ginger tom you saw today and Mudroot are two mortals with powers._

_So it was them who tried to kill me. _

_No, their powers were just acting by the force of someone else,_ Lightning responded. _The other Elementals want me dead, Dark. You must know this. But I won't let them hurt you. I won't let _anyone_ hurt you. _

_You're a stranger,_ Darkpaw repeated, tears coming to his eyes. Could someone really love him? Was there someone in the world who actually knew him well enough, who would protect him?

_You are not alone any longer,_ Lightning promised. He inched closer, and Darkpaw went against his instinct and did not move away. _I will make sure you aren't hurt or harmed by those Elementals. I will make sure these clan cats won't tease you or isolate you. I will make sure, above all, that you won't be killed by Shadow. He will die. He will be defeated. You, after all, are my mortal, and no one can change that. _

And for the first time that night, Darkpaw believed Lightning.

* * *

**A/N :: I do not own warriors. If I did, finals would be a second priority. **

(_Hold on one second) _

_YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!_

(_Thank you for holding)_

_This chapter fit together so perfectly! I love it so much! Especially the end, that was just exactly how I pictured it! Of course, there is more fleshing out of the new characters introduced, but. . .=) I'm just so happy. Next chapter will be in Mudroot and Darkpaw's point of view, and it will be probably be a little long, so please be patient! =) Thanks!_

_So, yeah, final projects will be the death of me. As will puppies. _

_Thanks for reviews! _

_-+- The Assassins Anthem, may darkness be with you_


	8. Chapter 7 :: Protected

Mountain looked up to the sky. The sun no longer lit up his mountain of earth. Only flashes of purple light provided light to the frightened animal of his world. Thunder rolled deeply, loudly, quickly. The lightning was close, Mountain realized.

Fire erupted near him. The amber light transformed itself into Flame, who's eyes were narrowed tightly. As soon as he could speak, the ginger tom hissed, "Who does he think he is, taking over the sky like this? Air should be punishing him, not letting him get away with it!"

"He is angry," Mountain answered. "Both of them are."

"So? I told everyone and anyone that my mortal was not to come anywhere near Lightning's mortal, and what happens? They meet in a patrol assignment!" Flame hissed. With a lighter voice, Flame added,"Thanks for helping me, by the way, even if your mortal interfered."

"You are welcome," Mountain responded. "It is a mystery indeed why Lightning has allowed this to happen."

"I do feel sorry for you, having to share a clan with that maniac," Flame put in. "Maybe you can persuade Duskstar to exile him when the time is right?" Mountain shook his head.

"The art of persuasion can only work once, and I already changed Duskstar's choice of mentor," Mountain said. "I cannot do much more than I already have to keep them apart. I do hope Mudroot has the sense to stay away from Lightning's mortal."

"Does he know?" Flame asked.

"Not yet," Mountain answered. "When the full moon arrives, however, I will tell him."

"Well, since everyone else already knows, I guess I'll pass the word on," Flame said. "They might as well meet each other all at once."

Suddenly, the wind picked up.

"Has Air figured it out?" Flame asked.

"Yes, I have."

Both Mountain and Flame turned to face the eldest Elemental. His narrowed eyes told them he wasn't happy, and the sharp gusts of wind around them told the two Elementals he was furious.

"Did I not tell you to leave his mortal alone?" Air asked. "You attacked him without reason, and that is treachery."

"My mortal -"

"You had no right to attack using your mortals," Air hissed. "You are fortunate - lucky - Lightning has not come here himself. His mortal is special enough to him that any threat to him would give reason to kill."

"Our mortals are special too, so don't act like he'd react any different than us," Flame spat.

"You do not understand," Air growled. "Lightning did not just claim a mortal and give them part of his powers as you and I did. He gave his mortal everything." Both Mountain and Flame widened their eyes.

"Impossible," Mountain hissed.

"You're joking!" Flame said as his fur bristled.

"I am not," Air stated flatly.

"That's insane!" Flame yowled. "No wonder he likes that mouse-brain mortal so much! If it dies, so does he! Don't you realize what this could do to the entire plan? That mortal has more power than any of us! What if he decided the clans need to be wiped out? He could do it in under ten heart-beats!"

"And why do you think Lightning is absent, hmm?" Air questioned. "Do you think he is restraining himself up in the sky like I myself often do? Of course not, you bird-brains! Lighting is calming his mortal after what you two did to him! Did you not even think about what a hysterical apprentice wielding Lightning's power could do?" Both toms remained silent. How could they speak?

_If Lightning has entrusted his power - his being - with this mortal, my mortal is in even more danger._ Mountain thought. _I must speak to him now, before its too late. _

"I will explain to Rain and Snow what has happened, and I suspect you to leave Lightning's mortal alone for now," Air said after many moments. "I know what you've been planning with your mortals as well. My only words of advice are to be careful. You never know when things could go wrong."

And then he disappeared in a harsh gust of wind.

* * *

Mudroot yawned. It was early. The sun stung his eyes. He didn't like that. Addertooth was still asleep. She didn't need to get up. He looked around. Fernfur was awake. Darkpaw too. He was scowling. Did he always scowl? The apprentices were eating close by. They laughed. They glared at Darkpaw.

Leafpaw and Petalpaw didn't like Darkpaw. Neither did Foxpaw, Pinepaw, or Swiftpaw. They teased him. They pushed him. No one noticed. Darkpaw didn't say anything. Did he not mind? Mudroot minded. He hated them for it.

Fernfur was gone. Darkpaw was alone. The other apprentices walked over. It looked like an innocent meeting. Mudroot watched curiously. They surrounded him. He stayed on the ground. He was looking at his meal. Did he not notice them?

"Hello, wittle Darkpaw," Leafpaw said. The tortoiseshell tom spoke like the queens when they were coddling their kits. "Still scared of a wittle earthquake?" Darkpaw remained silent.

"Nah, he probably just thinks he's too special to sleep in the apprentices den," Petalpaw continued. Is that what Darkpaw thought? Mudroot was confused.

"Oh yes, Darkpaw, do tell us again how you cheated your way into convincing Firestrike you're as good as they are," Swiftpaw growled. Darkpaw's expression grew harder. He was concentrating. On what?

"Don't you know how he talks about you?" asked Leafpaw. "'The fastest learner I've ever seen, and one of the brightest apprentices I've ever witnessed.' You aren't that special. Just a cheat."

"Cheater! Cheater! Cheater!" the others changed. They burst into laughter. Darkpaw's claws unsheathed into the ground. Mudroot heard thunder.

"I'd hate to break up your little meeting," growled Firestrike. He was standing behind them all. "but Darkpaw must hunt for the clan today." Darkpaw stood. He padded out of camp and disappeared. The apprentices laughed again.

Mudroot couldn't understand. Shouldn't they be learning from Darkpaw? Why didn't they like him? Was he mean to them like they were to him? That didn't make sense. Darkpaw was a good kit. That's what Addertooth said.

Mudroot ate a mouse. He liked the mouse. He found that the fresh-kill pile was getting low. He decided to hunt. It didn't look like a patrol went out. He padded out of camp. He stopped when he smelled the forest. He liked the forest.

He scented for a vole. Or a mouse. Or a crow. He didn't like crows. The snow kept the earth from him. He didn't like that. Flakes were falling on him. Was Snow crying. He gave a bleak smile. Snow doesn't exist. But he remembered the stories. Addertooth was good at telling stories.

Mudroot couldn't find anything. He jumped up a tree and looked out. Still nothing. Had a hunting patrol already gone through? He hadn't seen a hunting patrol. The snow wasn't helping. He wondered if he had to stop hunting until newleaf

_You do not need to see the ground,_ claimed a deep voice. _It is there. It is always there. _

"Who are you?" Mudroot asked. He searched the ground. He glanced upward. No one. Nothing.

_I am Mountain -_

"Controller of the ground," Mudroot answered. "Myth. Lie. Right?"

_Not so,_ the tom claiming to be Mountain stated. _You saw it for yourself when you saved Darkpaw._

"Loose ground," Mudroot said. "That's what Addertooth told me."

_She was wrong,_ Mountain responded. _I have given you my power. Why don't you use it? _

"How?" Mudroot asked. He was curious.

_You know,_ Mountain told him. Mudroot didn't. _Hmm, maybe you don't. Tell me, what did you feel moments before you saved that kit? _

"The earth was shaking," Mudroot answered.

_No, what did you feel in the earth?_ Mountain asked.

"I don't remember," Mudroot answered. Mountain sighed.

_Do you feel the tree beneath your paws?_ Mountain questioned.

"The bark is still burnt," Mudroot replied.

_Go beyond the bark,_ _Mudroot. You should feel its energy, its life. Do you?_

Mudroot did. It was an odd feeling. He felt strong. He felt ready to fight forever. He didn't like fighting.

_Now move with its energy,_ Mountain instructed. _Act as if you are going to walk. _

Mudroot didn't like that. One more pawstep, and he would be off of the branch. Mudroot moved. But he didn't. He stayed right where he was. The tree moved. Its roots climbed through the snow. It crawled through the ground. Then it stopped. Mudroot was pleased.

_Do you see?_ Mountain asked._ You are my mortal. _

"Can I learn more?" Mudroot asked. He wanted to show Addertooth.

_I thought you'd never ask. _

* * *

Mudroot had learned a lot. He liked Mountain. He was quiet. He helped Mudroot be happy. But he had to stop training. The clan was hungry. So he continued his hunt.

Mudroot heard shouting. It was nothing. But then he heard it again. It was louder. Was it laughter? Was it taunting? Mudroot could not tell. He went toward the sound. He carefully placed his paws into the snow. He didn't want to alert his target.

"So how did you cheat, Scarface?"

Leafpaw.

"I didn't,"

It was Darkpaw.

"No seven moon old apprentice has ever been able to train with apprentices like us," Petalpaw growled. "So tell us how you did it." Darkpaw remained silent.

"Oh, so now you're not disagreeing with -"

"I can show you," Darkpaw said. "I can show you I'm good enough." Mudroot inched closer. Soon, he was able to see them. Without any warning, Leafpaw lunged toward the young apprentice.

Darkpaw ducked. He evaded the attack. The dark tom turned. He faced Leafpaw. Darkpaw just stood. "Too scared, Scarface?" Darkpaw didn't say anything. Leafpaw attacked again. Darkpaw surged forward. They collided. Leafpaw was biting toward Darkpaw's neck. Darkapw was simply trying to push him away. The young tom succeeded.

Leafpaw's eyes narrowed. His fur bristled. The elder apprentice pounced quicker than Mudroot could see. Darkpaw moved out of the way. Mudroot was confused. How did Leafpaw end up on the ground? Darkpaw wasted no time. He pinned Leafpaw.

"I am just as good as you," Darkpaw said.

"Yeah, right, you lucky mouse-brain!" Leafpaw hissed. "Get him!" Petalpaw, Foxpaw, Pinepaw, and Swiftpaw all jumped onto Darkpaw. He struggled. He smelled of fear. Leafpaw stood. His claws were unsheathed.

"You think you're so good?" Leafpaw spat. "Well what if we just delay your training another three moons?" Leafpaw raised his paw and struck Darkpaw in the face. The tom didn't cry out. He went limp. Was he dead? No, he was breathing. The other apprentices laughed.

_I have to do something,_ Mudroot though. What? He searched and searched. He found nothing. Leafpaw continued to hurt Darkpaw. Then, Mudroot thought of something. He took a deep breath in. He focused.

Before long, the earth was shaking violently. The apprentices all stopped and looked around. Mudroot made the tree next to him move. Same with the tree next to that. The apprentices' eyes grew wide. They soon ran away screaming.

Mudroot padded over to the wounded kit. He wasn't to injured. Just a few scratches. The kit just lay there. His eyes were distant. He looked like Duskstar in that way. Was he older than he said?

"Are you okay?" Mudroot asked.

"Does it matter?" Darkpaw asked. Mudroot didn't know how to answer that. The young apprentice sighed at sat up. "Thanks," he murmured. "You didn't have to cause the earthquake for me."

_He knows?_ Mountain asked. _Lightning wasn't supposed to tell him about you! _

"How do you know?" Mudroot asked.

Darkpaw just stood and began to walk away. "Where are you going?" Mudroot demanded. He tried to sound like Addertooth around the kits.

"I'm hunting for the Clan," Darkpaw muttered. "I can't go back empty pawed." Mudroot took a step forward.

_Leave him,_ Mountain ordered.

"But he's hurt," Mudroot said.

_He's dangerous, especially now he knows who you are,_ Mountain growled. _Return to camp, or I will make you._ Considering Addertooth's stories, Mudroot did as Mountain told him.

* * *

Mudroot didn't see Darkpaw for a long time. Firestrike seemed angry at the other apprentices. They just rolled their eyes. Darkpaw was to sleep in the medicine den from then on. Mudroot didn't understand why Darkpaw hated it so much. Addertooth told him one night. He didn't like the other apprentices after that.

_Why not?_ Mountain had asked one day. _Lightning and his mortal deserve it. _

"No. He does not," Mudroot had growled. "Darkpaw is nice. They are not nice to him. Like Brambletooth and Owlclaw weren't nice to me."

_If only you knew,_ Mountain had responded. Nothing more.

The day of the full moon came. Duskstar announced who was going. He hesitated a bit while thinking of apprentices. He decided to take all but the queens, the elders, Addertooth, Owlclaw, Brambletooth, Nightheart, Pinepaw, and Darkpaw. It was a lot. He seemed to have a reason.

The left camp at dusk. It wasn't dark, but it wasn't light. Addertooth told him to be good. He had only gone to a gathering once. It wasn't fun. The other apprentices didn't like him. The clan moved out after a small speech from Duskstar. Mudroot caught the scowl of Darkpaw before he left.

Mudroot ended up speaking with Fernfur. He liked her. She talked really nice. She spoke about Darkpaw. She spoke about how alone he was. Mudroot just listened. He liked to listen.

When they were about half way into WindClan, they saw something which made Duskstar stop. "Who's there?" he demanded. A small kit walked forward with a tall gray she-cat.

"Its only me, Hawkkit," the young kit announced. "Oh, and Echostrike. We're apart of WindClan."

"Why are you not at your clan's camp?" Duskstar questioned.

"I don't live there anymore," Hawkkit said with a shrug. "They didn't like me. But I'm still apart of WindClan. I just don't live at their camp. In fact, I'm going to the gathering today! May we join you?"

"Are you old enough?" Duskstar asked.

"I'm just now three and half moons old, but -"

"She is a prodigy, Duskstar," Echostrike told their leader. "She may act young, but she is mature enough to go. There is no harm in letting her go with you, either. She's still as harmless as an apprentice."

"Did Fogstar permit it?"

"Of course!" Hawkkit exclaimed, her eyes widening as the excitement got to her.

"Then you may come, but please, do not cause a disturbance. You are still a WindClan cat." There were whispers from other Clan members. They didn't think Duskstar chose the right choice.

The kit went straight over to Fernfur and Mudroot. Echostrike followed. The Clan continued their walk. "So, what's your name?" Hawkkit asked.

"Mudroot," he answered.

"Fernfur, the medicine cat of ThunderClan," Fernfur said proudly. "So, why do you want to go to the gathering so badly?"

"Someone told me there was going to be a special meeting, and I wouldn't want miss something so special," Hawkkit responded. Fernfur seemed to frown with confusion. Mudroot didn't know why. But then Fernfur was happy.

The two talked eagerly. Mudroot didn't speak much. This kit talked too much. But she was intelligent. She knew a lot of things about the clans Mudroot barely knew. Echostrike interrupted her sometimes. She was a pretty she-cat.

Then they got to the fallen tree. Mudroot fell the last time he went. It wasn't fun. This time the lake was frozen. The clan went on one by one. Hawkkit went before him like she'd been many times before. Mudroot frowned.

"Come on, Mudroot!" Hawkkit called back. "It's just a fallen tree!"

Mudroot didn't know what she meant. Then he thought about the word 'tree.' Why would a tree try to kill him? Mudroot jumped upon the tree and padded across with ease. He didn't even slip.

"Great job!" Hawkkit told him. "Now come on, we're the last ones here!" She ran off toward two other cats sitting behind and away from everyone else. Mudroot followed her without a thought.

When those two looked at Hawkkit and Mudroot, they all stopped and stared at each other. Suddenly, Mudroot understood. He didn't know how or why, but he did. These were elemental mortals. They were like him. The she-cat was Rain's, and the ginger tom was Flame's.

"Are you mortals of the Elementals?" Rain's mortal asked.

"Yep!" Hawkkit answered. "I'm Hawkkit, Air's mortal, and this is Mudroot, Mountain's mortal!"

_Why would Air choose someone so young?_ Mountain asked. Wisdom cannot be present in a kit.

"I'm Leopardleap, Rain's mortal," the gray she-cat responded.

"I am Flamepaw, Flame's mortal," the ginger tom said.

"Well isn't that confusing!" Hawkkit giggled.

"Well why in StarClan's name are you called Hawkkit?" Flamepaw asked with a smirk. "You look nothing like a hawk." Hawkkit's eyes narrowed.

"My father caught a hawk the day I was born!" Hawkkit snapped. Flamepaw continued to look at her. After a few heartbeats, she burst into laughter.

"So where are the other two?" Flamepaw asked. "There are supposed to be six."

"N- Hailpaw didn't want to come," Leopardleap answered. "She's very independent, being Snow's mortal."

"Darkpaw wasn't chosen to come," Mudroot answered.

"Well that sucks," Hawkkit sighed. "Oh well, at least we're all here!" Hawkkit spoke with the others. Mudroot listened. She spoke a lot. She knew a lot.

When the clan leaders assembled on the tree, Hawkkit stopped talking. Everyone watched. Mudroot tried to name them all according to their pelts. Shadestar, black. Fogstar, black and white. Duskstar, brown. Streamstar, light gray. Addertooth told him it help him follow the conversation.

"I shall begin," Fogstar announced. WindClan. "Seven sunrises before the halfmoon gathering of the medicine cats, my clan was invaded by several rogue toms. Three of our warriors were killed, as was one kit." There was an uproar. A kit killed in battle? It was unheard of. Mudroot found it it odd. To take over land, one kills warriors first. Right?

"Silence!" Duskstar hissed. "Why would they kill a kit?"

"The rogues were trying to capture them," Fogstar answered. "I can tell that much from the only eye witness left. The clan left after the kit was killed. It was quick and planned. I must warn you and your clan to be careful, Duskstar. They could be after your territory next." There was silence. Streamstar's eyes were glassy. Was he thinking?

"Aside from this, we have a new warrior in our midst," Duskstar announced. "Echostrike became a warrior the day of the attack, and she warned us in time to prevent further disaster." The clans cheered her name. Mudroot didn't know why they did that.

"Upon this subject of invasion," Streamstar began. "I would like to announce that Reedfur is no longer with us, but in StarClan, because of a rogue who killed him as he was gathering herbs for ThunderClan's medicine cat. The rogue was chased off by a brave apprentice of mine," - Leopardleap suddenly smiled - "but the threat is certainly there. A warrior who was there with Reedfur was nearly killed as well, though our new medicine cat, Leopardleap, healed her nicely."

Silence. Everyone was afraid.

"Thankfully, my clan has no news of the sort," Shadestar said. "Oliveeye has had two kits, and three kits, Flamepaw, Rowanpaw, and Yellowpaw, are now apprentices." They praised the names. Flamepaw, the ginger tom, just scoffed.

"He's only proud for Rowanpaw," hissed the tom. "He doesn't care about me."

"Why do you say that?" Hawkkit asked.

"I became an apprentice a moon after my siblings did, that's why," Flamepaw muttered. With a smirk, he added, "I don't need his pride, though. I can make it on my own."

"I, too, am thankful I have no dealings of rogues," Duskstar announced. "There was a trespasser, but it was a simple loner one of my apprentices managed to chase away."

"What of the apprentice who was injured by the fox?" Fogstar asked.

"He is completely healed now, thanks to our medicine cat," Duskstar said proudly. "His training -"

The moon became covered by dark clouds. There was thunder. Sparks of lightning. The clans began to whisper nervously. The night grew dark.

"What's going on?"

"Is StarClan trying to say something?"

"What did we do wrong?"

_This is no warning from StarClan,_ Mountain said._ I will see what Lightning's up to._

"Silence!" Streamstar hissed. "Does anyone understand what this is about?" No one answered. Chaos persevered.

"ThunderClan is in trouble," Hawkkit whispered, too small for anyone but the other three Elemental mortals to hear. "It's being invaded."

"How do you know?" Flamepaw asked.

"Air told me," Hawkkit answered. She blinked. "I can't just tell them. They won't believe me."

_How did she understand that so quickly?_ Mountain asked no one in particular. _A normal kit would have stood straight up and announced it to everyone like a mouse-brain! _

"Wait! I know how to do it!" Hawkkit exclaimed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in.

"Hawkkit?" Echostrike asked. "Hawkkit what are you -"

She opened her eyes and blowed out air softly. A howling breeze blew past. Strong enough to push them. Weak enough so they could stay sitting. Then, she began to say something. Nothing was coming out. Mudroot didn't understand.

Then he heard it, "ThunderClan is under attack. . . Go to them . . .They are under attack. . ." It was scary. It was creepy. Mudroot shivered. The cats on the island whispered.

Duskstar jumped down from the tree after a few moments. "ThunderClan, let's go!" The clan ran after their leader. Mudroot followed. Hawkkit followed. He didn't care.

_Addertooth,_ he thought. _Be safe. _

* * *

_**Earlier**_

_. . .Do you understand? _

_Yes, I do, but I feel like I can't do anything,_ Darkpaw growled.

_You can do everything, just not all the time,_ Lightning explained._ As the most powerful element, we can't just go around zaping cats that could be ignored. You could kill someone doing that. _

_If we can't use our element all the time, then what's the point?_ Darkpaw asked.

_The point is to show the other elementals you can control yourself,_ Lightning told him. _And when the time comes, show them you are better than any of them, that you are the most powerful of them all. _

_You keep talking about me,_ Darkpaw pointed out. _What about you? _

_My time has long since past to prove myself,_ Lightning answered. _Now, though, you can learn from my mistakes. _

_Will you ever tell me what happened with you and the other five Elementals?_ Darkpaw asked.

_Another time, perhaps,_ Lightning replied. _I am not comfortable with it right now. _

_Why not? You know everything about me,_ Darkpaw reminded him.

_That's just a perk of being immortal,_ Lightning admitted. Darkpaw smiled. _Thanks, by the way. _

_For what?_ Darkpaw asked.

_For being the first friend of mine in more moons than I could count,_ Lightning responded. _It's been very lonely. _

"Invasion!" yowled a guard.

Darkpaw was on his paws in second, looking around wildly. The word 'invasion' was yelled and shouted everywhere, and soon, familiar rogues flooded into camp. _I told him to stall until after the full moon!_ Darkpaw hissed.

_He could have been tortured for information._ Lightning pointed out.

Darkpaw surged forward toward the first tom and attempted new fighting moves he'd learned from Firestrike. He was on his back in seconds nearly pinned by his opponent. _Clan moves don't work on them, then,_ Darkpaw decided.

Darkpaw raked his claws through the tom's stomach and reached upward to bite his neck. The tom jerked backward, pulling Darkpaw to his paws. The apprentice then swung his hind paw toward the rogue's back end, which made the tom collapse. Darkpaw slit the tom's throat with a simple swipe of his claws.

When he looked up, panic arose in his stomach. Each warrior was surrounded by at least three rogues, and even the queens and elders were fighting. _We're out numbered, he decided. How can we fight them? _

_I'll send a message to the clans and to Air,_ Lightning said. _I'll be back soon._ Darkpaw nodded. That would help, but for now, he had to create a plan.

Darkpaw dashed toward Pinepaw, who was battling a rogue twice her size. He collided with the tom, leaving Lightpaw behind as they tumbled into the apprentices den. Darkpaw recovered first, being several times stronger than the skinny rogue, and pinned him down as fast as he could. He bent down and clamped hard on the rogue's throat until he went limp. Not dead, but no longer able to fight.

"How did you -?" Pinepaw gasped.

"Never mind that," he interrupted. "Stop using the moves you're used to. Use something more risky, something they won't see -"

"Darkpaw, watch out!" she screamed.

Too late. A rogue crashed into him, clawing at Darkpaw's shoulders, and then at his stomach after he had been pinned. The dark apprentice twisted out of the rogue's range and caught his breath.

"Scared, little Dark?" the rogue said with a smirk.

"In your dreams!" Darkpaw hissed. He dashed forward, and went right past the rogue. In confusion, the tom turned, but Darkpaw was ready. He slashed his claws right through the throat.

Pinepaw's eyes were wide.

"Pinepaw, _listen_ to me," Darkpaw pleaded. "Tell everyone to do something like I just did. Otherwise, we won't -"

"My kits!" screamed a queen. Darkpaw stiffened as he turned to face the nursery. Three rogues were headed there. _Of course,_ he thought with wide eyes. _They aren't here to take over ThunderClan. They're here for the kits. _

Darkpaw sprinted over to the nursery and went in right after the rogues. "Stay away from them!" A powerful set of paws pushed him away into the nursery wall.

"Oh, look who's come to join us," came the voice of one rogue. "Shadow did say something about taking him back alive, didn't he, Smoke?"

"Make it quick, Tooth, we need to leave soon or we'll have more loses than we can afford," Smoke said. Tooth chuckled. He lunged toward Darkpaw, who slinked out of the way just in time. Tooth did it again, and Darkpaw went the other way.

Suddenly, he was cornered. Tooth lunged into him, banging his head against the wall of the nursery. Black spots were in his eyes, and he fought them immediately. Teeth and claws scraped at his skin. Soon, Darkpaw could no longer fight, and with a weak whimper, he fell.

* * *

The next thing Darkpaw knew, he was being carried through the forest. His body was stinging in several different places as his cuts filled with cold, wet snow. The cry of a kit woke him up quickly.

_I've got to do something,_ he said as his heart began to beat faster. _I can't go back, and I can't let this kits become what I became._

_I know what you're thinking, Dark,_ Lightning growl. _If you do it, the kits might die -_

_I don't care!_ Darkpaw screamed. _I can't go back! _

_Dark, think of this logically,_ Lighting hissed firmly. _If you kill the kits, they might not even let you back into ThunderClan. Think rationally._

_I have to!_ Darkpaw said. More softly, he repeated, _I have to. If I don't, they're as good as dead anyways._ Lightning was silent.

_Then do as you must,_ he said. Darkpaw nodded. He called upon his anger. His fury. He thought of the older apprentices and their unfairness toward him. He thought of the Elementals and their unfairness toward Lightning. He thought of Shadow, and Wind, and Firestrike.

And he let go.

When Darkpaw opened his eyes, a quick flash came down upon the cats around him, and they collapsed in a single second. The kits began to wail, and Darkpaw immediately wanted to make sure they were safe.

_It's my fault they're here in the first place,_ he thought. However, as soon as he tired to stand, he collapsed.

_Dark, you used too much energy - _

Darkpaw tried again. This time, he managed to stand for a long time. He carefully stepped forward and found the kits near two limp rogues. He picked them up and put them together. Then he lay next to them, trying to keep them warm as he waited for a search patrol to come.

Sleep and pain clawed at his mind, but he did not sleep. _I've had worse,_ he kept telling himself. _I can't let them die. I've had worse. _

After several heartbeats of silence, the sound of thundering paws came closer until ThunderClan surrounded him. The cats which survived the battle at camp were also there.

"What happened?" Duskstar demanded.

"They outnumbered us," Owlclaw explained. "It was insane. Then they left as soon as they came. It was strange. It didn't take long to find out they had the kits." It was too dark to tell who it was, but someone was checking on the kits one by one.

"All four of them are alright," the cat said. It was Fernfur. Darkpaw relaxed.

"We owe Darkpaw a lot for this," Duskstar said with a sigh of relief.

"We owe him? Look at what he's done! All eight of them are dead!" Owlclaw said. "And without a single scratch on them!"

"Haven't you figured it out?" Fernfur asked.

"Figured what out?" Owlclaw spat. "That we have a killer among our apprentice rank? You should have seen what he did with his claws!"

"No, you mouse-brain!" Fernfur shrieked. "Darkpaw is Lightning's chosen! Didn't you see the lightning? Didn't you hear the thunder?"

"Lightning's chosen?" Duskstar question. "But that would mean -"

"Yes, each Elemental has chosen a cat to hold their power," Fernfur said. "But that's not the point. Each time you call him a killer, you're speaking directly to Lightning, the most powerful element in this forest. And this proves it."

"But he's not even clan born!" Owlclaw exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter!" Fernfur hissed. "All that matters is that he's important, and we cannot let him die, nor can we cast him out. If we're to survive whatever phenomenon his happening, we have to keep him close to our clan." There was silence. Darkpaw enjoyed it.

_Rest,_ Lightning told him. _You did it, Dark. You controlled your powers._

* * *

**A/N :: I don't own Warriors. If I did, this would a manuscript, not a free-to-read chapter-by-chapter book on the internet. =)**

_Pointing out: Lightning using Darkpaw's original name is NOT a mistake! =)_

_So, yeah, ten times bigger than normal. Well, I really didn't know where to cut it off, so I just kept going. XD This chapter surprised me quite a bit, as well. I didn't expect That last bit about the clan finding out to happen, and I really didn't expect Lightning's response to everything. His character is kind of deciding itself by this point. XD I was also surprised about Hawkkit's coming to the Gathering __**WHICH I'd like to point out I had no clue it was the normal four elements until it happened. **__I laughed when I figured out it was Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. =) _

_The elements will ALL meet each other in at least three to four chapters__I promise! If you have any more questions, please free to ask me =)_

_Lightning to Dark :: Be Somebody by Thousand Foot Krutch (Why are they named that anyway? XD)_

_Thanks for the reviews! _

-+- The Assassin's Anthem, may darkness be with you.


	9. Chapter 8 :: Watched

**_Just so EVERYONE knows! . . . . . .Lightpaw's name is now Pinepaw! Look below for reason! _**

* * *

_So what do we do? She's killed a cat! _

_Look at what he's done! All eight of them are dead!_

_What if she has this accident again?_

_Figured out what, that we have a killer among our apprentice rank?_

_If she can't control it right now, who's to say she won't kill someone else? _

Hawkkit closed her eyes tight, allowing the tears to stream down her cheek. The dark image of the night came to the front of her eyes and immediately she opened them. It was a constant fight, one she had grown weary from.

She couldn't sleep, not after what she'd seen in ThunderClan. She couldn't stay awake because of her overactive thoughts. She was trapped in her own silence, for the night was barely half way over, and Echostrike was asleep.

_Is this what we're fighting for? A group of cats who don't understand what its like to be accused of something so ugly?_ Hawkkit shook her head and looked down. _No, that's the point. They don't know what its like. We're showing them._ Hawkkit frowned.

_Why should we have to? Is the world so hopeless that we have to be normal and come from a normal place in order to be treated just like everyone else?_ She bit her lip. For once, her brain could not calculate the right answer.

_Is it just Darkpaw, Mudroot, and I that have a hard time?_ Hawkkit asked into a dark void. Thankfully, there was an answer.

_Would you like for me to show you?_ Air asked.

_Of course,_ Hawkkit muttered. _How else am I supposed to understand?_

_Close your eyes, and you will see,_ Air told her. She closed her eyes. A strong temptation forced them open. She was in a dream again, but this time she could see high rocks among the field, and a clear, shimmering pond. She wondered if it was the moonpool.

"Not quite," Air responded. She squinted her eyes so she could see the light gray tom. He was next to the rocks. She walked forward and noticed each rock was taller than the one in front of it. Six of them. As her paws reached the edge of the pond, she tilted her head.

"Is this a meeting place for the other Elementals?" Hawkkit asked.

"Indeed it is," Air answered. "I will explain it soon. For now, however, let me show you what you came to see." Air breathed in, and in an instant, a single ripple forced the stagnant water to become blurry.

When Hawkkit could see the clear waters again, she found herself staring at Mudroot, only he was younger. Two other toms kept calling him names like 'mouse-brain' and 'crow-food.' A few times, he was pushed. When it skipped to present time, everyone but a single she-cat went anywhere near him.

The water focused on a new tom - Flamepaw. He was stumbling around a clearing as his mentor was yelling at him. Another apprentice laughed cruelly. When the tom was at camp, he was called a liar and a fire-lover.

Then it changed to Leopardleap, who sat there giving instructions to a queen about an ill kit. Suddenly, the mother told the young medicine cat she was probably wrong and that a tom named Reedfur would do better.

A beautiful white she-cat appeared then, and she was walking among the branches of tall trees with ice guiding the way. Whispers of, 'Hailpaw's a murderer' and 'she's dangerous' came to Hawkkit's tiny ears.

Hawkkit blinked as the water returned to normal. Suddenly, her problems seemed minute. She looked upward. "Each of them have stories worse than mine," she noticed.

"That is not completely true," Air told her, "but you understand. Your questions were answered. Every Elemental mortal was chosen because of a shared aspect which was not intended, but destined."

"This is all wrong," Hawkkit said, her eyes narrowed. "If all of us are unwanted by our clans, some of us won't want to fight for this forest at all."

"You are wrong," Air said.

"Am not!" Hawkkit snapped. "Why would Nyka want to fight when she doesn't even know anyone? Why would Mudroot fight when no one even pays attention to him?"

"Think, young one," Air ordered her. "What other aspect do they share?" Hawkkit thought hard, but she could not find it. She agreed they were all coping, but that didn't change anything. They didn't have any one they cared about.

"But they do," Hawkkit whispered aloud.

"Hmm?" Air said.

"They all have someone they care about, don't they?" Hawkkit asked. Air smiled.

"You are bright for your age," he praised. "You are correct. Mudroot has Addertooth, Flamepaw has Yellowpaw, Leopardleap and Hailpaw have each other, and you have Echostrike."

"What about Darkpaw?" Hawkkit asked.

"You don't miss anything," Air noticed. With a sigh, he said, "I cannot say why Darkpaw will fight, but he will. And he must, for he is your only chance."

"What do you mean?" Hawkkit inquired.

"Do you see the marking on your tail?" Air questioned. Hawkkit nodded. "Place it in the water." Carefully and cautiously, Hawkkit dipped her tail in the cold water. She shivered. In an instant, she saw light.

Hawkkit glanced upward and saw a symbol light up each rock with a different color. The lowest rock had the dark blue symbol of a rain drop. The one higher than that had a brown circle as the symbol. The next highest rock had an orange triangle as the symbol. The highest rock after that had a light blue symbol of a sun. Then, after that, was the symbol on her tail, which was glowing light gray. The highest rock was a symbol glowing purple, and it looked like a lightning bolt.

"These rocks show the Elementals ranks," Hawkkit realized. "And Darkpaw's element is on top."

"Lighting is the quickest, strongest, and deadliest element," Air explained. "In one heart-beat, an entire clan can lay dead or unconscious."

"Then why are you the leader right now?" Hawkkit asked.

"Danger creates fear," Air said. "And fear can create monsters of even the happiest of cats." Hawkkit swallowed as she remembered Fernfur's fight with the tom. Was he a good cat before he saw all of that?_ No,_ she realized. _He was the one terrorizing Mudroot. _

"So, you're saying everyone else is afraid of Lightning, so they won't let him be the leader?" Hawkkit asked. Air nodded. "And now it's up to me to change that." Air nodded again.

"As my mortal, you have many responsibilities," Air explained. "You are to force peace into the elements which can't get along. You are to create ideas when no one else can. You are to help the elements come together for their training."

"Why must it only be me?" Hawkkit wondered. It was not a complaint, but a curious question.

"Because you are the element of peace, intelligence, and happiness," Air said. "The others have their positions: Water must calm the uneasy, Fire must encourage the broken hearted, and Ice must protect."

"And Lightning is to lead," Hawkkit finished. "This all makes sense but. . ." Hawkkit trailed off. "Why? Why do we have to go through all of this? What darkness is so bad we have to live through so much discomfort?"

"ThunderClan was outnumbered when they were attacked," Air told her. "There are more of them in the rogues' main camp." Hawkkit's eyes widened.

"But a rogue group like that could destroy an entire camp!" Hawkkit exclaimed.

"Furthermore," Air said, "RiverClan being attacked by a stray rogue is not a coincidence. The situations are mirrored, but completely different."

"Can't you see what's going on?" Hawkkit asked. "You're a StarClan cat!"

"I am not a StarClan cat!" Air hissed. Hawkkit jumped with surprise. Calmer, he went on "StarClan cats are those who die and allow their souls to rise. I am an Elemental, one who has always been in the sky, who was here before the first StarClan cat even arrived. I was created by the Almighty while StarClan cats were created by us. Do you understand?" Hawkkit nodded with wide eyes.

"I apologize," Air said. "It is simply offensive to accuse an Elemental of being a StarClan cat. To answer your question, no, we don't know what's going on. Somehow, our enemy has hidden from the divine forces which forge a prophecy, which is why there isn't one. That same reason is why we also cannot see their reasoning or their plans."

"Then how do you know about Darkpaw's destiny?" Hawkkit questioned.

"Because you are not hidden from the makers of prophecy," Air responded. He paused. "Would you like to see what your medicine cats have seen about the six of you?" Hawkkit's eyes brightened with curiosity.

Air walked up to the pond and breathed in deeply before saying, in a quiet voice, "Ye pond of fates and futures, pasts and presents, show thee now the future of the Elemental Mortals we have chosen to change the course of history."

The pond rippled. There was a shimmer. Then, at once, she was watching moments of the future. She saw Leopardleap healing damaged cats, giving orders to four others. Water clung to many of the wounded cats. Then she saw Hailpaw standing over the body of a dark tom, speaking softly to it.

"I am sorry I never knew you. . ."

Hawkkit suddenly saw Flamepaw standing on a high rock with cats changing his name: "Flamestar! Flamestar! Flamestar!" But there was an odd look to him. He didn't seem enthused about being there. Hawkkit saw Mudroot after that. He was smiling, laughing along with Leopardleap and Echostrike as well as a few others. Several large birds flew in circles in the distance. Hawkkit saw herself after that, fully grown with long fur and whiskers. She was instructing a few cats, each several moons older than her. And beside her, looking intently, was Darkpaw.

Before she noticed much of him, the view changed to him in a different setting. He wasn't as tall as anyone else his age, but he seemed very strong and untouchable. There were no scars on his body, all aside from a long gash down his back. As he walked around, he gave orders. Hawkkit gasped when she noticed one tom receiving an order was Fogstar.

The pool shimmered and became clear once more. Hawkkit stuttered a bit before saying, "That was Fogstar."

"Indeed it was," Air told her. "Do you have any idea why?" Hawkkit thought for a bit.

"According to this, if we win, he. . .he will be the leader of everyone. . ." Hawkkit murmured.

"Not everyone," Air corrected. "Young Darkpaw will still be under the rules of ThunderClan. But you see, when one wins a war all on his own, a hero is made, and that hero is respected." Hawkkit only nodded, but she thought he was wrong. Darkpaw wasn't going to be just a hero. After all, that's what they all where going to be. No, Darkpaw was something else. A savior. A knight. A fighter. He was something different entirely.

"Is there anything else you would like to know?" Air asked.

"I think I should go to sleep now," Hawkkit replied. Air nodded. The next thing she knew, she was in a dream

* * *

Hawkkit woke with a start. A paw was on her side. She sat upright, and then found herself looking into the eyes of Echostrike. She gave a deep breath and said, "I thought you were going to kill me."

"The patrol is coming our way," Echostrike told her. "Look awake." Hawkkit tried. However, she was tired. She had stayed up most of the night going through the possible pathways of each Elemental Mortal's life which could lead to the outcome. She had almost discovered Mudroot's, but she had tried too hard on Hailpaw's, who was nearly impossible.

"Hello, Hawkkit, Echostrike," came the voice of the patrol leader. Hawkkit honestly didn't remember his name.

"Good morning, Breezestrike," Echostrike answered. "Is there any news we should be aware of?"

"Cloudpaw's warrior ceremony will be held at sunhigh, if you wish to come," Breezestrike said with a wink to Hawkkit. "He's been missing you, by the way. Defends you every single time someone speaks badly of you. I'd return the favor." Hawkkit nodded.

"I'll be there!" she promised.

"Good," Breezestrike chuckled. The warriors behind him shifted nervously. "Oh, right, and Fogstar declared a cat must always be with another. After what happened in ThunderClan, we want to be safe. So make sure Echostrike is with you at all times." Hawkkit nodded. "See you later!" And they were on their way.

"Cloudpaw's going to be a warrior!" Hawkkit squealed. "I can't wait! I wonder what his warrior name will be!" Echostrike gave a bleak smile.

"While we wait for sunhigh, shall we hunt?" Echostrike asked. Hawkkit nodded.

Hunting was kind of a process for them. Mostly it was just 'scare the prey until Hawkkit finally catches something' but it was becoming more of a 'great, you caught it, but that's totally not how you're supposed to do it' or, on other occasions, 'how in StarClan's name did you do that?' Hawkkit wasn't very traditional when it came to hunting.

Today was the first situation.

Hawkkit had been stalking a rabbit, and then she chased it, but she soon became tired and frustrated, so she concentrated hard and forced the air around it and within it to go away. The rabbit was dead in seconds after it suffocated. Hawkkit was proud. Echostrike was not.

"What happens when that doesn't work? Will you just go hungry? You have to learn to hunt for real or you won't survive!" Echostrike lectured. Hawkkit yawned.

"It worked just now, didn't it?" Hawkkit pointed out. "As long as it works, I should be able to do it. And if it doesn't, I continue chasing it. Is it that big of a deal?" Echostrike glared at her.

"I hate it when you act intelligent," she muttered. Hawkkit smiled.

* * *

Lightning stood in his stormy sky, watching Darkpaw through the clouds. He had been sleeping for some time. He was alright, though, and Darkpaw's nightmares were far from reaching him. Still, Lightning would not leave him.

_I'm not used to being forced to stop due to loss of energy. My energy lasts forever. He is mortal, though. It only makes sense for him to have this weakness. Could this damage things? . . .No, of course it won't. Darkpaw would kill himself before the clans could be destroyed by those monsters._ His claws unsheathed. _Is that why you wanted someone like me, Air? So he wouldn't ever give up? _

"Your fury is very well kept." Lightning didn't even have to look up. It was Rain.

"Yeah, right! Did you see what his mouse-brain mortal did?"

Snow.

"It is not safe for you to taunt him in his element, Snow."

Mountain.

"We all know what happened last time."

Flame.

Lightning's muscles tensed. "You are not allowed here," he growled.

"Yeah, so?" Snow snapped. "You just showed us your element is unpredictable even on the mortal realm. You've got no right to tell us what we can't do."

"Darkpaw held back for a long time," Lighting told her calmly. "You know why he did it. Wouldn't your mortals do the same if I threatened them with what I did before?" The other Elemental's shifted uneasily.

"How dare you mention that so calmly," Flame hissed. Fire erupted beneath him.

"You can fight me, and you can kill me, but as long as my mortal lives, my element survives," Lightning growled.

"Impossible," Snow spat. "If you die, he dies with you!"

Lightning scoffed and then said, "I would say the other way around." Snow's eyes grew wide.

"You didn't," she said softly. Louder, she yowled, "You wouldn't dare!"

"Why do you think I was slower the last time we fought?" Lightning questioned. "Why do you think my bolts did not come so quickly?" There was a moment of silence.

"You weren't calling on your bolts," Fire hissed. "You were calling on _his_ bolts!" Lightning smiled.

"I am just an adviser now," he said.

An ice spike embedded itself in his leg.

Lightning stood, unconsciously creating bolts which flickered toward the four elements, who were in their battle positions. Suddenly, lightning struck everything around them, confined in the clouds surrounding the other Elementals. Thunder clashed very close to them. The wind picked up. Lightning smirked.

"Didn't Mountain tell you not to taunt me in my own element?"

* * *

Hawkkit walked into camp with a proud step. She looked around for Cloudpaw, but she couldn't find him. So she followed Echostrike and ignored everyone else.

"Why is she here?"

_Because my friend is becoming a warrior, _

"What is Fogstar thinking, letting her back in?"

_That I'm harmless, which I am. _

"She's just going to kill somebody."

_Who said that?_ She looked around. She took a deep breath. _They're all mouse-brains anyway, treating me like that._

"Hello, young Hawkkit."

Hawkkit turned around and smiled wildly. "Cloudpaw!" she exclaimed. Hawkkit bounded over to him and rubbed up against his soft fur.

"How old are you now? You look as if you've grown quite a bit," Cloudpaw said.

"I'm four moons old now!" she said proudly. "Two more moons, and I'll be an apprentice!" Cloudpaw's smile wavered, but he kept it up. Hawkkit noted that even her friend did not believe a ceremony would be held for her.

_Fine then,_ she thought to herself, still smiling._ I'll name myself when the time comes. _

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the highrock for a clan meeting!" Fogstar called out. Hawkkit followed Cloudpaw to the highrock, and they waited for others to gather around them. Hawkkit was comfortable now that she knew Cloudpaw was there. It was like a sense of protection, no matter how silly that seemed.

Fogstar sat tall and announced, "It is time to perform on of the most honored ceremonies of all. Crowpaw, Cloudpaw, please step forward." The two apprentices did. "I, Fogstar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." He paused before saying, "Cloudpaw, Crowpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

Crowpaw, looking happy for once in his life, said, "I do."

Cloudpaw, who still held his composure, said, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Crowpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Crowfang. StarClan honors your cleverness and skill in battle. Cloudpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Cloudheart. StarClan honors your bravery and kindness. And now we welcome both of you as full warriors of WindClan."

"Crowfang! Cloudheart! Crowfang! Cloudheart!"

"Congratulations, Cloudheart!" Hawkkit exclaimed. "You're a warr -"

Lightning struck the base of the camp. An echoing scream filled the entire camp, and everyone dove for their dens. Hawkkit stood frozen at was she was seeing. Many fox-lengths away, the tall grass was on fire, and it only grew. Rain - no. _Hail_ fell from the thundering sky, and the earth seemed to be shaking.

_Another storm? But this one was so quick, how -?_ Hawkkit knew immediately the answer to her question. And then, the answer to how to stop it also came to her. _You tricky little tom. You knew something like this was going to happen. _

Hawkkit pushed away the thought. It didn't matter. What mattered was making sure WindClan was safe from the Elemental's fury. Hawkkit jumped upon rock after rock, trying to get to the one Fogstar was on.

"What are you doing?!" Fogstar demanded with a hiss.

"I'm stopping the storm," Hawkkit answered. "I just have to get to a high enough place." And so she jumped upon a bolder which carved the entrance to the leaders den. Fogstar yelled something out, but the thunder made it impossible to hear much of anything.

_I've got to do this,_ Hawkkit thought with a sigh. She pushed herself up to another boulder and then another, and that was when she was the highest she could be.

Hawkkit breathed in as if she were going to suck the entire storm in through her nose, and then exhaled. A strong gust of wind blew through the camp and up toward the camp, and in just a few heart beats, the fire was gone, the hail had stopped, and the clouds became lighter. It only harmlessly snowed.

The clan whispered through the silence. How had a storm started and ended so quickly? Hawkkit simply smiled and made her way down the boulders and rocks.

_As long as there isn't any fighting, I don't care whether they figure it out or not,_ Hawkkit thought. With a smile, she thought to herself, _I truly am a peace-keeper. _

When she made it down, Cloudheart was at her side. With a worried expression, he asked, "Are you alright?" She nodded.

"I'm fine," she stated. "Honestly. I just had to do something." Cloudheart raised his eyebrows.

"Like save the clan?" he questioned her. Hawkkit shrugged.

"Something like that," she said. "Hey, can you show me some advanced fighting moves while I'm here? Echostrike keeps showing me the boring ones." He smiled.

"That's the Hawkkit I know," he said. "Come on, I know a great place to practice. . ."

* * *

Lightning was watching Darkpaw awaken for the first time in a long time. Fernfur was fussing over him, but Lightning and Darkpaw both knew it was because she was afraid of what the clan would do to him and she was stressed out because of it.

_You'd think she'd give up already,_ Darkpaw said, his voice booming through the clouds. _The clan's gonna hate me forever._ Lightning chuckled.

"You'd think," he agreed.

"I would have thought you'd know better than to fight back."

Lightning tensed.

"I've got something to deal with up here, Dark," Lightning told his mortal. "I'm closing the connection."

_Talk to you later,_ Darkpaw told him.

"You call him Dark despite his new name?" Air questioned.

"It is his real name," Lightning explained. "It is the name he truly knows."

"Hmm," Air hummed in amusement. "Would you like to answer my previous question?"

Lightning sighed, "You knew they were going to do it. You knew they were going to attack."

"You did not have to attack back," Air stated.

"So when I trespass, they have every right, but when they do it, I'm expected to just sit here?" Lightning hissed.

"In your position, yes, that's exactly what you are supposed to do," Air said.

"I'm just sick of it," Lightning growled. "I'm sick of everyone treating me like I can't do a thing. Like all my choices will end in disaster."

"After what you did, do you truly believe they will ever forgive you?" Air asked. "You brought this on yourself, and you must pay the consequences. Yes, it is unfair for them to hold the grudge out this long, but so is life for all of our mortals. You have to live with it until you can make it better." Lightning clenched his teeth, controlling a burst of fury he was about to let out.

"Get out," Lightning growled.

"Excuse me?" questioned Air, obviously offended.

Lightning turned quickly to face the tall tom and, with glowing purple eyes and bared teeth, he hissed, "Get out!"

And Air disappeared.

* * *

**A/n :: I do not own Warriors. **

_Alright, if you were like me and you got TOTALLY confused on the symbols part, please go here - art/Symbols-459924186 (no spaces) and all will be explained =) _

_As for explanation for the name change, PLEASE note that Lightpaw was originally going to be a minor character until I had an awesome 'aha' moment and decided she was going to be a bigger. . .minor. . .character. . .? Nevermind. So, since it would be REALLY weird and cliche to have a Darkpaw and Lightpaw, I changed her name to Pinepaw. Sorry if there were any confusions. ^^_

_I thought this chapter was going to suck. Like, badly. And then I read over it and went, you know, there are some points, like going to the future and Hawkkit's hunting, that I really needed to put in there. So then I was happy. _

_**ATTENTION! ::**__(That hurt even MY eyes. . .) I was thinking about setting up a writing contest for all my readers out there. Summer is boring me, and I really want something to do, so reading what YOU guys write sounds like fun. Here would be the prizes: _

_1st place :: A __**r**__eading of an entire story with reviews to every chapter, and a short story written by me about one of a character of their choice_

_2nd place :: a reading of an entire story with a few reviews and a short story written by me about one of a character of their choice _

_3rd place :: (do you guys have any ideas?)_

_Everyone else :: (do you guys have any ideas?) _

_I can draw animals pretty well as well, so if you want that I can't do that. =) _

I could leave the prompt up to you guys as well, if you want to. =)

Anyone interested?


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